Final Fantasy VI - The Novel

By Celes Chere

Part I: The World of Balance

Long ago, the War of the Magi reduced the world to a scorched wasteland, and magic simply ceased to exist.

1000 years have passed... Iron, gunpowder and steam engines have been rediscovered, and high technology reigns...

But there are some who would enslave the world by reviving the dread destructive force known as "magic."

Can it be that those in power are on the verge of repeating a senseless and deadly mistake?

Chapter One - The Girl with the Magitek Armor

The night that Narshe was invaded was like any other night in the quiet town.

In that evening, Narshe had been dusted with a gentle snowfall, and a soft wind carried the voices of mothers and fathers everywhere who were calling their children in for the night. Lanterns in the windows of shops were put out, and were replaced by the electric lamps outside on the streets. The town guards of Narshe, consisting of both youth and elderly men alike, dressed in their warm fleece uniforms and caps and kissed their loved ones good-bye as they left for their night time posts. As they walked, their feet left imprints in the snow that would only be replaced by more snow the next morning and disappear. That was how it was all around Narshe. Change that ever occurred would be quick and easily replaced with the familiar. The city elder saw to that. Narshe was invisible to change, and independent from the rest of the world. Or so he thought.

Narshe was snuggly set in the most northern mountain range in the world. It was a coal-mining town, where most of the men either worked as miners in the day, or guards at night, or even both. A common monster in Narshe was the lobo, a wolf-like creature that the soldiers trained to hunt intruders. However, the cliffs and mountains outside of Narshe were considered dangerous territory, and no guards or lobos even were sent there. It was the Elder's law to protect the villagers.

But even the law could only be carried out so far...and on the night that Narshe was invaded, footsteps graced those cliffs and mountains. Big, metal, burning hot footsteps.

Standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking Narshe were 3 sets of a monstrous type of armor. Steam and sparks of a magical substance burst out of them every few seconds, but they appeared stable, and let out a low purr from their motors. Each one of the armor sets contained a person. Two of them were men clad in brown armor and low helmets that hid their faces, while the other was occupied by a petite woman with emerald green hair and dull green eyes. However, it wasn't the

color that was dull. There seemed to be...almost a haze in them. At some points, her lips would move as if to form a sentence, but then suddenly, they would stop, and fall back to their emotionless state.

"Hey Wedge, there's the town..." One of the soldiers said, in a bold and deep voice. He looked away from the town to his fellow armored partner. Wedge sneezed and rubbed his nose.

"Hard to believe an Esper has been found intact in there, 1000 years after the War of the Magi..." His voice trailed off, almost as if he were afraid. He looked at Vicks, his partner, and let out an obvious squeal of fear. Wedge had always been the less brave of the two friends/partners, but he was smarter, being the information officer. Vicks smirked.

"Think it's still alive?"

Wedge nodded. "Probably, judging by the urgency of our orders."

The wind picked up right then, the cold piercing right through their armor. Vicks and Wedge cried out, but the girl didn't make a sound, and she was wearing far less protective clothing then them. Vicks could not believe it.

"And this woman, this...sorcerer. Why's she here? I heard she fried 50 of our Magitek Armored soldiers in fewer than 3 minutes." Vicks looked to Wedge who shrugged.

"Not to worry. The Slave Crown on her head robs her of all conscious thought. She'll follow our orders." Wedge stared at the girl as he said this. The slave crown was a simple brown headband from the view of the ordinary eye, but to Vicks and Wedge, who knew better, it was a memory-sucking machine that ravaged one's mind apart, seeking and destroying any unique thought. Neither soldier could imagine what the poor girl might have been going through with that thing on her head. But, neither one cared enough to do anything.

After a few moments of silence other then the howling winds which got colder and stronger, Wedge cleared his throat and turned his Magitek armor away from the cliff.

"We'll approach from the east." He ordered. "Move out!"

The loud clanking of the Magitek armor could only be heard by its three pilots as they traveled down the cliff side and into the heart of the mountains. Laser beams and other weapons that were equipped on the armor made quick work of any animal or monster that got in their way, and also cleared the path for them when it was needed. Soon, the team had emerged from the mountains into a plain and empty snowfield, and snow had begun to fall.

Following the navigation devices on the Magitek armor, the team traveled towards Narshe from an angle so that their lookouts could not spot them until it was too late. When they had reached the city gates, they saw that any forces that had been there had withdrawn. This was exactly what they thought would happen, and they were ready.

"Let's put her on point. No sense taking any risks." Wedge said, adjusting his navigation system so that it would bring up a field map of Narshe. Vicks followed, as did the girl. Very stiffly, like a

robot, she then took hold of her controls and moved her armor ahead of the group so that she was the leader. She turned her attention ahead of her and awaited further orders. Vicks nodded approval, and Wedge shouted: "Forward!"

As soon as the team entered Narshe, they were approached by a pair of charging guards with a lobo. Vicks and Wedge tried desperately not to laugh.

"Machine-riding, self-important swine! Take this!" The guards cried in unison as the lobo leaped at them. The girl, without a moment of hesitation, pushed a blue button on the control panel, causing her Magitek armor to making a loud revving sound and a lens to slide open at the front. With a single burst of energy, a blue sparkling beam shot out of the lens of the armor, hitting the lobo and instantly freezing it in a block of ice. The lobo fell from midair to the snowy street with a thump, and the girl stared directly at the guards.

".....Withdraw!" One of them cried, and the two took off running before anything else could be done. The girl looked back to her controls, and continued to lead the team down the street. When they had reached the inn, they were suddenly ambushed by two different guards, their glistening spears in hand.

"Imperial Magitek Armor?" One cried.

"Not even Marsha's safe anymore!" The other exclaimed, slamming his spear against Vicks' armor. Disgusted, Vicks slammed his fist down on a yellow button, causing a bolt of lightning to hit the guard's partner. With a loud scream, the man flew back and smashed into the inn, dying instantly. The other guard, horrified, took off running, but Wedge caught him from behind with a brutal fire beam. Crying out, he collapsed into the snow, rolling about to try to put himself out. As the girl continued ahead, one of her metal feet came down on the man's head, putting him out of his suffering instantly.

The trek through Narshe still proved to be eventful, as they came across more guards and lobos shouting out their battle cries before ultimately meeting their doom 5 seconds later. The girl, although it just barely registered in her mind, realized that these people must have been protecting something important. But what was it...?

She flinched as a ripping shock went through her head, making her forget everything she had just thought about.

"Narshe's freedom depends on us!"

"We've got 'em trapped, now!"

"We must defend the mines!"

The guard's voices echoed off of the nighttime sky, each followed by either a scream of horror or agony as they were frozen, electrocuted, burned, or even gassed by some of the more advanced weaponry on the girl's armor. Finally, the team had reached their goal point: Narshe's Mines.

"According to our source, the frozen Esper was found in a new mine shaft. ...Maybe this one..." Wedge trailed off and once again, adjusted his navigation. The girl's armor jerked forward, and soon, they were inside the freezing cold mines of Narshe. It was a very small mine though, and soon, the group had come upon a large open area in the mine that was protected by a gate of wooden planks nailed together.

"I'll handle this. Stand back!" Vicks cried. He charged ahead of the group, slamming right through the gate with the loud clatter of broken wood planks hitting the walls and the floor. However, they were surprised when out of the darkness emerged a tall man who was dressed like all of the other guards they had fought, only his uniform was more colorful and sported several badges. This must have been the captain of the Narshe guards.

"We won't hand over the Esper!!" He cried, and stepped aside. "Whelk! Get them!"

"Gruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" A low growl erupted throughout the mines, as another shadow emerged from the darkness ahead. However, this shadow proved to be more threatening then the guard. It was a huge monster, one that almost resembled a giant snail with glowing red eyes and a spiny purple shell at its rear. Letting out another growl, its antennae suddenly shot out and slashed at the Magitek armor. Everyone cried out, even the girl, as the shock that the armor was supposed to absorb for them was failing miserably. The captain of the guards burst out into laughter and quickly retreated, leaving them to die. The team tried to fire various beams at the Whelk, however, they were all absorbed by its shell, and the lashes by the antennae just got stronger.

Vicks moaned, racking his brains trying to figure out how to beat this wretched thing. A Whelk was a naturally hostile creature, and very hard to train. This must have been Narshe's ultimate weapon...Suddenly, he had it!

"Hold it!" He cried frantically. "Think back to our briefing......"

"...What about it?!" Wedge replied, trying to turn to Vicks.

"Do you recall hearing about a monster that eats lightning…" Vicks began.

"Oh!!! And stores the energy in its shell!!!" Wedge finished happily.

"Right. So whatever you do, don't attack the shell!" Vicks yelled. "The head is its weakest point!"

"Alright already!" Wedge snapped, and pulled his armor back a little. "Girl! Finish it off with a Tek Missile!" That was the most powerful attack a Magitek system held, and the girl was the only one with it equipped.

She gave a small nod, and pushed a white button on her control panel. All at once, the lens in the front of the machine opened again, and a load of missiles shot out one after one, shaking the Magitek armor violently but striking the Whelk square on target. When the last missile unloaded, slamming right into one of the Whelk's eyes, it let out a massive roar and slowly, its slimy head shrunk and melted into its shell. A small beeping could be heard, which meant that the bomb that was always contained in a final Tek missile was activated. With a terrific explosion, the shell exploded and shattered, pieces bouncing off the walls and Magitek armor.

"Cover your eyes!" Vicks demanded, and all of the Magitek pilots dove further down in their armor until the danger had past. Vicks popped up first, then Wedge, then the girl. Vicks grinned and pointed ahead. The girl trudged on, stopping when the darkness in the area blossomed into a beautiful shining light.

Ahead of the team was a large, frozen block of ice. Contained in it was a massive bird-like creature, its wings spread and its yellow beak open as if in the middle of a screech. Its feathers were every color of the rainbow, and its talons were long and well sharpened. The ice that trapped it started to glimmer and shine, and began to glow a light blue.

"This is the frozen Esper!" Vicks exclaimed. Suddenly, the girl, even though she had no orders, approached the creature. Her eyes widened as she got closer, the blue glow illuminating off of her soft and pale complexion. She had a small, peaceful smile on her face.

"Hey, what's the matter?!" Wedge cried. "Do you know something we don't?" She did not reply. It was as if she never heard him.

"Impossible." Vicks scoffed. "She's just a..."

Suddenly, the light that the creature had been emitting got stronger, almost blinding. It filled up the entire mine, and swallowed up the Magitek pilots.

"Where's that light coming from? Uwaaaaaaaaa!" Wedge screamed, and suddenly, his body was vaporized into nothing. Vicks widened his eyes and felt like his own flesh was about to burst into flames.

"Hey, Wedge!" He cried in a weak voice. "Where are you? What....What's happening?!" All at once, too weak to scream, Vicks collapsed to the ground and vanished as well. Only the girl was remaining now, unharmed, and unmoved by the events that had just unfolded around her.

She said nothing as she continued towards the Esper. The light for her was warm, and serene. There was nothing to be frightened of. For once, the slave crown had failed to dispose of these thoughts and feelings. Something was stopping it. The girl reached out, wanting to touch and feel the light for herself.

Suddenly, with a loud crash, a bolt of light shot out from the Esper at the girl, striking her directly in the chest. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself as the light enclosed over her body, making her glow like the esper. Her Magitek armor exploded in a fiery mess, but the flames and metal did not graze one part of her body. The girl let out a soft moan and lowered her head. Her heart had begun to ache with a longing...a longing for something that she just couldn't remember...

All at once, the light stopped, and the warmth went away. The girl collapsed to the ground, passed out, and the coldness of Narshe's mines settled into her bones once again.

She was not aware of the hurried footsteps that were approaching her body.

Chapter Two - The Trail Worn Traveler Locke

Soft moonlight came in through the window of the small house, bathing its polished wooden floors in a silver light. It was well after midnight, but everyone in Narshe was wide-awake. There had been screams and explosions outside of just about everyone's windows. And, several bodies had been removed from the snow, frostbite already claiming its lifeless victims. There had been crying wives, crying children, even some howling lobos, realizing their masters were gone.

But through all of this, an elderly man had been making his way through the mines, carrying out his own investigation. His sandy-to-white colored hair was being dripped upon by the icy waters of the mines, but it did not seem to bother him. He had seen the Magitek Armor riding into Narshe from his own window on the north part of town, and he thought tonight was his lucky night. He needed Magitek Armor, even just one piece, for a friend of his to study and overlook.

But he did not expect to find what he did lying on the cold, damp ground...one of the soldiers he had seen earlier, minus her armor, out like a light. He did a quick check, seeing if any of her two comrades were with her, but no one else was there except her and that creepy frozen esper everyone had been talking about. It was then, however, that he noticed the strange brown headband fastened around the girl's forehead, and gasped. She needed to be taken in right away to safety.

So now, he was home, after he had carried the young woman back from the mines and tucked her safely away in a spare bed of his. However, before leaving her alone, he carefully reached around to the back of her head and unfastened the slave crown, taking it to a table across the room. He wanted it as far away from her as possible.

Suddenly, he heard a soft moan come from the bedroom, and sat up in his rocking chair, nearly dropping his book in surprise. Had the young woman finally awoken? He sighed as he stood up, knowing what would be coming next. She would be asking questions, and he would have to give her all of the sad answers. He entered the bedroom, and looked toward the bed. There she was, sitting up, and rubbing her head. Her green hair fell over in curly tendrils over her shoulders, and her green eyes were filled with a light that had never been there before. Her clothes were still soaked with snow and water, but she was not shivering.

"Are you ok?" The old man asked, and the girl gasped, looking up at him. When she spoke, he was surprised to hear that her voice was small, soft, and almost child-like. In fact, he was surprised she could even talk at all. The full effects of the slave crown, such as muteness and amnesia, perhaps had not settled in after all!

"Where am I?" She asked softly.

"Whoa!" He smiled as he came closer. "And I only just removed the crown!" The girl looked up at him with a pained expression on her delicate face.

"....Head....hurts..."

"Take it easy..." The man said, and took the slave crown off the table. He held it out to the girl, and she blinked, not recognizing it.

"This is a Slave Crown. The others had complete control over you while you were wearing it." He explained, and set it down on the night table beside her bed. The girl widened her eyes and massaged her temples.

"I...I can't remember a thing!" She cried, her heart racing. No matter how hard she searched, she could find nothing but fog rolling through her mind...She suddenly became very frightened and shut her eyes tightly to keep her hot tears from coming down her cheeks. The old man sighed, and placed a hand on her bony shoulder.

"Don't worry. It'll all come back to you... in time, that is.........." He trailed off. "Time heals all wounds..." The girl shook her head frantically. She called upon all her inner strength inside of her body to banish the fear in her heart. A warm feeling began to wash over her, something she could have sworn she had felt just very recently....

"My name....is Terra!" She cried, and opened her eyes. The old man blinked and smiled, although in shock.

"That's amazing...I have never heard of anyone recovering...so fast!" He exclaimed cheerfully. He realized that the girl looked frail, but something inside of her was strong and unyielding to the horrible effects that the slave crown had left behind in the poor girl's body. It was definitely something he had never seen....

Suddenly, there was a loud barking outside, the barking of several lobos, and the shouts belonging to a human voice.

"Open up! Give us back the girl and the Empire's Magitek Armor!!"

"Open this door! We want the girl! She's an officer of the Empire!" The old man gasped, and looked towards the front of his home. Terra, alarmed, climbed out of bed and stood beside him. Her heart was beating so loudly, she was sure the guards outside could hear it. What was she to do?

"Empire...?" She asked. "Magitek Armor...?" The old man looked to her and shook his head. There was no time. She was clearly innocent...not like the other Empire officers he had met. She was not like them at all.

"Look, I have to get you out of here! I don't have time to explain!" He cried, and pulled her over to a backdoor in the bedroom. She blinked and stared at him.

"Make your way out through the mines! I'll keep these brutes occupied!" The old man cried, and Terra was about to protest when he opened the door and gently pushed her through. Terra stumbled out on long, clumsy legs and heard the door shut behind her.

"....Oh dear..." She murmured, and shivered as a cold burst of wind hit her. She was not quite up to walking yet, but she decided that she must follow the old man's directions and hurry to the mines. She had detected fear in his voice, fear even when he touched her shoulder....but there was also an air of genuine worry with him as well, and he DID rescue her. So, she supposed she should return the favor by escaping like he said.

With that, Terra took off running from the back of the man's house down a long plank bath that had been built that led right to the mines. As she was crossing them high over the main street of Narshe, she saw a couple of guards below her and freaked out. Slowly, she began to walk across, as to not make any distractions, but he heeled boots were too loud and gave her away. She gasped as the guards looked up at her, smirking.

"She's up there!"

Terra continued to stare at them a moment before realizing that she must leave quickly and did so. She soon entered a dark mine, and looked about her surroundings frantically.

Where can I hide? She thought. What can I do? I'm so scared...

Terra continued to run through the mines, although her entire body felt as if it would fall apart at another step. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her and nearly screamed when she heard the voices.

"I can hear her down here!"

"Alright! Little missy can run fast, eh?"

Oh God, what do they want with me?! Terra's mind raced as she blindly plunged forward around a corner. She then spotted a exit, and smiled happily. She was free! She was about to race through it when she was stopped by 2 emerging Narshe guards appearing through it. Terra screamed and took a step back as they approached her, laughing.

Right then, another pair of guards emerged from the path Terra had taken to get to where she was, and she found herself trapped and cornered. She slowly backed up into a cold wall, trying to think of what to do to save herself.

"Got her!" All the guards squealed in unison. Terra gasped and closed her eyes.

What do I do? What do I do?

Suddenly, Terra felt a violent shaking, and looked down to her feet. To her horror, she realized the floor was collapsing beneath her! But before she could run to safety, the stone gave away, and Terra found herself plunging through cold darkness, the surprised shouts of the guards above her fading quickly. Terra hit the floor with a sickening thump, and moaned as she tried to push herself up on all fours. She crawled a few steps forward, but collapsed and realized she had to rest.

Those men...who were they? Narshe's guards? Empire officers? What is all this...?

Terra tried to crawl again, but her body heavily protested this and shot sharp pains through every joint she had. Terra cried out and hit the ground again, this time welcoming the darkness and feeling of warmth that came over her.

She found herself in a world strangely tinted yellow, and looked around. She could see the room of a castle. Inside, the room was covered in machines and big red banners with a funny black symbol on them. Also inside, she could see a strangely dressed man who almost had the appearance of a

clown with his flashy make-up holding something familiar. The slave crown! He was approaching another figure, one who was just standing there, dazed, as if she had been drugged. Terra gasped when she realized it was her!

"Wake up!" Terra tried to shout, but nothing paid attention to her. Terra cried out again, but alas, there was no response. The clown man snapped the salve crown around the girl's head, and instantly, the light in her eyes vanished.

"My sweet little magic user...! Uweee, he, he! With this Slave Crown I'll practically OWN you!!" He began to laugh manically, and Terra gasped.

"Who are you!?" She screamed at the image. "Did you do this to me!?"

As it faded away, Terra then saw herself piloting a monstrous device that was spitting out beams of red, blue, and white left and right. She was being attacked by soldiers, but to eliminate them, all she had to do was push a button. A fiery background appeared, and Terra realized they were in a burning town! The clown made the scene now, strutting across the battlefield after Terra had killed everyone in sight.

"Uweee, hee, hee! Good! Burn up everything!" He exclaimed, and laughed again. His laugh was so horrible, so frightening, that Terra knew she would never be able to forget it again.

"Was that really me...?" She asked softly. "Did I kill all of those people...? Or is this a sick dream?"

The scene changed again for the last time. They were at the palace again, at some sort of an assembly. Terra saw herself, the clown, a young man with honey blonde hair and blue armor, and a young woman with blonde hair also in a tight combat bodysuit. They were all standing behind a way older man with a long beard, and Terra could see that stretched ahead of them were tons of brown-suited soldiers waving and cheering.

"We stand on the brink of a major breakthrough! In the days to come, we'll witness a total revival of magic! It is our destiny, and ours alone, to take this mystic force and claim what is rightfully ours!" When the old man started talking, the screams and cheers got louder. Terra blinked and watched closely as the three people she was standing with abandoned her and moved up to the old man.

"With our newfound power, nothing can stand in our way!" He exclaimed, and the three people behind him saluted. Terra tried desperately to think about whether she knew them or not, but she couldn't tell. Was this reality, or a dream? At once, the soldiers all burst out shouting:

"Hurrah!!! Long live Emperor Gestahl!!!"

"Hurrah!!! Long live Emperor Gestahl!!!" Terra gasped as it started to fade away.

"No wait!" She cried, her voice beginning to echo in the darkness. "Wait....!"

".....Wait....."

"...............Wait...."

**********

Back at the old man's home, Terra's savior had been pacing about the floor of his living room nervously, checking his watch every few minutes. This always happened. He was always late...His thoughts began to wander towards the girl he had saved...what was her name? Terra. Was she safe now? Had she managed to hide?

Suddenly, the front door to his house burst open, and the old man turned around. Realizing that it wasn't a Narshe guard, he turned red and began to shout.

"Took you long enough!"

"Heh, sorry..." The new figure shut the man's door and locked it up. He was a tall man, well built in the chest and tan all over from traveling in the sun a lot. His hair, a light brown, was streaked with some natural blonde highlights, hung over his eyes in a rather ragged manner until he turned around and pushed them away. A handsome face was revealed, with sparkling brown eyes and a cheerful smile that looked like it could never be melted away. He was dressed warmly for the occasion of arriving in Narshe: A warm blue jacket that was layered over his traditional uniform of a white t-shirt and denim pants. He was also wearing brown leather boots and matching brown gloves. To finish things off, a navy blue bandana was tied around his forehead.

The old man smirked. "Well then...How goes the robbing and plundering trade?" The young man gasped and turned red, deeply offended and shocked.

"I PREFER the term treasure hunting!" He protested, and crossed his arms over his chest. The old man burst out laughing and shook his head.

"Ha! Semantic nonsense!" He exclaimed, and the young man made a face and waved a finger.

"Anyway, you are the one who sent for me, right?" The young man asked. Suddenly, the old man turned serious and nodded.

"Locke, there is a girl I would like you to meet." Locke blinked and immediately shook his head. Avis, the serious-minded old man he thought he knew well was trying to hook him up on a date?! Not that it mattered anyway. Locke wasn't interested in that sort of thing anymore...

"Locke!" Arvis cried, and Locke snapped out of it.

"Yes, a girl?" He asked.

"You didn't think I was trying to set you two up, did you?!" Arvis smirked and Locke nearly fell over.

"No, of course not!" Locke sighed in relief and then gasped, realizing what this might be about. It was already all over the Narshe news and... Locke ran over to Arvis and grabbed his shoulders firmly.

"......!? This better not have anything to do with that Magitek- riding, imperial...witch!!!" Locke cried. Arvis nodded sadly and Locke blinked. What was he thinking?!

"Imperial troops are pursuing here even as we speak. This town is no match for the Empire!" Arvis cried.

"I know Arvis, but..."

"Our independence can only be assured if we join forces with the Returners..." Arvis trailed off and Locke stepped away.

"Narshe join up with the Returners? The underground resistance movement against the Empire?" Locke shook his head. "Seriously doubtful! Narshe would never..."

"Well, that's not necessarily the issue at hand right now." Arvis said. "That girl wasn't responsible for her actions. We must get her to understand our dilemma! Locke, you must trust me on this...we need her help, and badly. We need her to show others what the Empire can do to people, and..."

"Alright... I think we'd better help her..." Locke gave in and sighed. As much as he didn't want to do this, he just kept telling himself it was for the Returners, and Arvis.

"Agreed. Make your way first to Figaro, and talk to the king!" Arvis instructed, and then pointed out towards his back door. "She escaped through there. Find her quickly, and leave Narshe as soon as possible! She had green hair, and was wearing a red dress!" Locke nodded and a few moments later, disappeared through the door.

"I knew I could count on you, Locke!" Arvis exclaimed happily to himself. "Be safe...!"

Locke took off running, following the small footsteps he saw in the snow on the wooden plank path into the mines. He could not believe that he had been woken up in the middle of the night for something like this. Arvis must have been crazy, telling him to rescue and escort an Empire soldier out of Narshe safely. He hated the Empire, just hated them. What was different about this girl? And if she really was in trouble, why didn't the Empire just swoop down and take her away by now? She must have come in town with some other soldiers to steal the Esper...that was what everyone was talking about. So surely, the Empire would know by now that something was wrong...

Oh well. Locke thought as he entered the mines and began to take a look around. No judging a book by it's cover, and no jumping to conclusions. They had been was favorite sayings his grandmother used to tell him, and he sure needed them right now.

"Hello?" Locke called out. He turned a corner, and gasped. There was a gaping hole in this area, one large enough for a person to fall through. Locke got down on his hands and knees, peeking down the hole and smiling.

There she was! A green-haired, red-dressed girl was on the floor below, passed out cold. That had to have been her. Locke leaped down the hole and landed beside her, running his hands over her hair to get it out of her eyes. He was surprised by a seemingly child-like face, and disturbed by how blue her lips were, and by how pale she was.

"She's jus' a kid..." He said to himself. "And she's going to freeze to death too if I don't get her out of here on the fly...!" He stood up, looking about to consider his options, when he heard voices.

"Yeah, the guards said she was down here, out of it."

"Finally! Then we can capture her and get out of here! It's almost morning, ya know, and I'm hungry!"

"What do you think the Elder is going to order?"

"Death, most likely. She slaughtered half of our squad tonight!" Locke gasped and looked back down at the girl. SHE did that? But how...?

"No, that's not important!" Locke cried, and gulped. "But I still have to find an exit..."

"HEY!" A guard cried, and Locke nearly jumped 10 feet in the air.

"Now we gotcha!" Another exclaimed, and Locke shook his head. In front of him had to be at least a dozen very angry Narshe guards, and their pet lobos. Locke moaned and took a step back towards Terra.

How was he going to fight all of them off?

Chapter Three - Edgar, King of Figaro and Empire Ally

"Wonderful...there's a whole bunch of 'em..." Locke looked about them and slowly pulled out his knife. Perhaps, if he were quick enough, he could wound enough of them to get them to back off...

"Kupo........"

"Huh?" Locke cried, and the guards all started squealing.

"What was that?!"

"A ghost?!"

"Well, withdraw! If it's a monster, let it get to them first!!!" The guards scrambled back further in the mine, and Locke turned towards Terra.

Standing by her body was a short, squat, little white creature with big ears and small pink wings. The pink pom-pom on its head bobbed back and forth from its rough landing on the ground, and its tiny nose twitched as it looked over Terra and then looked to Locke.

"Kupo!" It squealed, and suddenly, more of its kind appeared from the hole in the ceiling, all flying down and landing next to Terra. In total, there were 11 of them, all staring at Locke.

"Moogles!" Locke exclaimed, and grinned. "Are you saying you want to help me?"

"Kupo!" They all exclaimed, and began to assemble each other into groups of four. 3 Moogles walked over to Locke, and tugged on his pants, gesturing towards the guards, who just stood there, shocked.

"Oh, I see, and we'll fight in a group together!" Locke said, and the 3 Moogles below him nodded. "Well, come on, lets go!" With that final remark, Locke and the Moogles ran towards the guards, with the other Moogles following.

Locke's dexterity was incredible. He flew from the left to the right, taking out the lobo monsters with single slashes of his knife as the Moogles flew at and blinded the guards by flapping their wings in their faces, or by even just flying into them. The Moogles in Locke's group got to biting, and soon, the rest of them followed. Only one Moogle had his own weapon...a shining spear that he must have picked up from a guard. As Locke stopped to catch his breath, he watched in surprise as that Moogle single-handedly finished off a lobo on its own with the weapon. When the Moogle turned to Locke, it smiled and gave him a wink.

Not before long, the lobos had all been killed, and the guards were running scared for their lives. Once the mines had been completely emptied from them, the Moogles all started jumping up and down and letting out loud and excited victory cries. The Moogle with the spear walked over to Locke and did a small bow.

"Thanks, Moogles!" Locke exclaimed, and sheathed his knife safely away. "We're in your debt!" With that, the Moogles all disappeared, one by one, up the hole in the ceiling they had come from. Locke rushed over to Terra and scooped her up in his arms. She found her not to be heavy at all,

and ran towards the exit that had been blocked by the guards. However, when he reached the end of the tunnel, Locke found himself to be at a dead end. Furrowing his eyebrows in thought, he set Terra on the ground gently and walked over to a hidden switch in the wall.

"Hmm....I think this switch will..." He pulled it down, and just as he expected, a doorway suddenly appeared and opened behind him. Outside, he could see the edge of Narshe's limits, along with the small cabin that always sat out on Narshe's boundaries. The cabin was for tired travelers who needed a safe and free place to rest. Locke decided he would take the girl there, and was about to pick her up again, when she let out a soft moan and opened her eyes. Locke blinked and smiled.

"Eh...You back with us now?" He asked, and Terra slowly pushed herself up so that she was sitting. She stared at Locke, and spoke.

"You...saved me?" She asked softly. She slowly stood up now, brushing the dirt and snow off her dress. "Thank you...."

"Save your thanks for the Moogles." Locke said, and looked her over. She didn't appear injured, just very tired and very out of it. Terra suddenly stumbled and leaned back against a wall for support, her hand flying to her head.

"Uhh...I can't remember anything...past or present!" Terra cried, and let out another moan. Locke gasped.

"You have amnesia?!" He asked, his heart skipping a beat. His mind began overflowing with his own horrible memories, and he suddenly felt great sympathy for this girl. The Empire had yet made another victim of their greed....

"A man told me I would get my memories back." Terra said, looking at him confusedly. He looked absolutely horrified for her! Locke looked up at her and put on a small smile.

"Give it time. Until then, you're safe with me! I give you my word!" Terra blinked and raised her eyebrows. She didn't know what to say.

"I won't leave you until your memory returns!!" Locke promised, and placed his hand on his chest. "I promise...."

"Thank you...sir..." Terra trailed off. She still felt scared, but this man seemed like he wanted to help her. She had no one else to go to, and no where to go, and no other ideas...Terra held out her hand. "I'm Terra."

Locke took her hand and shook it. "Locke Cole, Treasure Hunter! Nice to meet you Terra. Now, lets get out of here!" They left the mines, and Locke pushed another switch, closing the hidden door and turning to her.

"By the way, this secret entrance might be useful some day. Don't forget about it!" He smiled, and winked. Terra nodded, and they made their way away from the mines, away from Narshe in general. Terra looked back to the small village, and sadness overtook her senses. Locke looked to her.

"Something up?" He asked. Terra turned to look at him.

"No..." She trailed off. "No...."

"Don't worry, I'm taking you somewhere safe." Locke said. "We're going to Figaro Castle! The king is going to be interested in meeting you." Locke blinked and remembered something. "Oh yeah, how old are you, if you remember...?"

"......" Terra didn't say anything, and looked down at the ground. This was an easy question. Anyone normal could answer it...

"18." Terra finally replied, and Locke's face fell.

"What?!" Terra cried worriedly.

"Um, well...listen, just don't pay TOO much attention to the king, ok?" Locke added. "He might...become more interested in you then we want." Terra blinked and looked at him funny. She didn't get it, although, later on, she would understand.

As the two walked and made small talk, the scenery changed drastically. As soon as they left the mountainous Narshe region, they found themselves in a much warmer climate and a grassy plain. All the snow was gone, and it finally felt like the summer season that it was. They soon crossed a small desert, and Figaro castle could be seen in the distance. The rising sun of the early dawn lit the rest of their path.

It was a tall and majestic castle, however, it was also extremely modernized, which was obvious even from a distance. The castle's foundation and outsides were wrapped in a metal-like material that was similar to that of a Magitek armor unit. Huge fans whirled in the towers, with special solar devices that used energy from the sun to power them. As they got closer, chocobos could be seen parading in the sand with green uniformed soldiers riding them. Terra looked around in fascination, but Locke did not seem impressed. They reached the front gates of the palace, and were immediately stopped by a uniformed guard, who saluted them in peaceful respect and then spoke.

"Halt there sir!" Locke smiled and waved, and the guard suddenly smiled back, squinting his eyes a bit.

"Oh, it's you Locke!" He exclaimed. "Proceed."

"Thanks!" Locke said, and led Terra inside. She was as puzzled as ever now. She continued to gaze lovingly at all the gorgeous artwork and expensive decorative pieces as Locke led her through a long carpeted hall and through a huge pair of double doors. Terra found herself in a decorated hall with a pair of thrones at the front and rich, heavy curtains pulled back from the large windows that spilled light into the room. The soldiers that were posted by each window all gave slow nods to Locke as he made his way to the front of the room, towards the thrones.

Sitting boredly in one of those thrones was a handsome man twirling a lock of long blonde hair around his finger. He was dressed in rich garb, layers of royal blue and green robes that looked silky to the touch, and even the breastplate he was wearing had an elegant touch to it. His blue eyes almost seemed to glow as they turned on Terra. There was no doubt that this was simply a beautiful

man. He stood up, pushing his long ponytail back over his shoulder, and walked towards the pair slowly.

"You mean...THIS young woman?!" He exclaimed. Locke nodded, and the man continued to peer at Terra. The first thought that sprung to the man's mind was just how beautiful this girl was, but that was slowly replaced with the reality of the situation he was in. Finally, he sighed, and turned away for a moment to think of how to word what he had to say to her.

Terra, however, was not going to wait. "Who do you think you are?" She asked, a bit flustered. The man turned and smiled charmingly.

"I'm so sorry! How rude of me to turn my back to a lady!" He exclaimed, and Terra blinked. Locke tried not to laugh as the man made a dramatic bow.

"I am Edgar Roni Figaro, king of Figaro, of course." Edgar said, and Terra turned white. She turned to Locke, who winked.

"Surprised someone like me knows a king?" He asked, and he and Edgar burst out laughing. Terra watched as Edgar approached Locke and they began to talk in hushed whispers.

"Was your journey here ok?"

"Yeah, we didn't have too much trouble. There is no way she'll be able to go back to Narshe for a while though. The guards there want to get rid of her for good. I got to her just in time..."

"Well, alright. Let her relax for a spell while we plan our next move..." Edgar suddenly turned back to Terra, only to find her staring at him blankly. Locke gave a short wave and started to walk away.

"Locke...!" Terra protested, but he just smiled.

"Talk to you later!" He exclaimed, and left the throne room. Terra sighed and put her hands on her hips. Yes, she had decided that now she was just as confused as ever. Edgar came over to her and took her hand, giving it a light kiss that just made Terra look at him even more strangely. He laughed.

"Common gesture, my dear." He said, and dropped her hand. "So...you're an Imperial soldier! No problem. Figaro and the Empire are allies! Please relax while you're here. It's not in my blood to harm a lady."

"Imperial soldier?" Terra asked blankly, and gave up. She was not going to get her answers from him, she could tell that immediately. She just decided to go along with what Locke and this Edgar character said.

"Look, why are you helping me?" Terra demanded. "Is it because...of my abilities?" She wondered if this had anything to do with her being an Imperial Soldier, now that he had mentioned it. Whatever that was, it sounded elite and important. She couldn't think of anything else she had that he would be interested in, except maybe...She stopped thinking as he began to talk.

"I'll give you three reasons!" Edgar exclaimed, holding up a finger. "First of all, your beauty has captivated me!" He held up a second finger. "Second...I'm dying to know if I'm your type..." Terra's jaw nearly dropped. This man wasn't blunt! Edgar began to stroll away towards the doorway in his throne room and stopped to stare at her, holding up a third finger. "I guess your...abilities would be....a distant third." Terra furrowed her eyebrows.

"What's with you anyway?" Terra asked, and Edgar sighed.

"Guess my technique's getting a bit rusty..." He muttered, and left the room. Terra just stood there, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hmmm... I suppose a normal girl would have found him dashing. But I'm hardly...normal..." She sighed and looked around. He had given her permission to wander about, so she decided to take advantage of it.

As Terra traveled from room to room, gazing at the pretty things and talking to the folk around the castle, two things were made evidently clear to her. One, Edgar Roni Figaro was most definitely a self-thought ladies man. She heard stories from maids on how he had hit on the High Priestess of Figaro during an important event, how he constantly showered his attention on women, and how he even promised marriage to one very hopeful little girl who was running about the palace with a doll. Terra also learned that Figaro was very advanced in technology, and that even the entire palace itself had an incredible secret that only it's people knew about. Of course, he refused to tell Terra.

Terra also learned more about the Empire...As she climbed one lookout tower, she heard two soldiers talking about how the Empire had recently smashed all three cities on the southern continent of the world, all the attacks led by an 18 year old general who seemed to be some sort of prodigy. Terra gulped and quickly retreated from the tower. She could only pray that they had not been talking about her.

Near the end of her exploration, Terra found herself in Edgar's chambers. He wasn't to be found though. Instead, an elderly woman was sitting in a chair in there, mending what Terra guessed was one of Edgar's capes. The woman looked up and smiled at Terra.

"Hello, young lady." She said. "If you're looking for Edgar, you won't find him here. He's in a meeting with his friend, Mr. Cole. I'm Matron, by the way, so if you need anything, just let me know!"

"Oh, Locke..." Terra trailed off, almost forgetting who Mr. Cole was. "Well, then I apologize for my intrusion...thank you Matron." As Terra was walking out, she noticed an old portrait on the wall of two young boys with blonde hair hugging. She recognized the one with the longer hair as possibly Edgar when he was younger...but yet, the other one also looked very much like him. The elderly lady caught her staring and let out a small sigh.

"Did you know, young lady? Edgar has a twin brother." Terra gasped. So that was who it was. "He was such a nice boy..."

Terra turned around to face her. "What...happened....?" The woman cleared her throat and looked up at the ceiling. She seemed to be going into her own world as she remembered...

**********

A young Edgar was sitting down in the library, struggling to study for his tutor's exam that was coming up. However, he found it hard to concentrate, especially because of life's recent events...

"Brother!" A voice exclaimed, as another young man ran down the stairs and burst into the library. Edgar looked up and frowned. "Brother, what is wrong with Father? What's all of this talk of his successor?" The youth gasped as Edgar stood up, slamming his book shut in fury.

"Are you blind?!" Edgar cried. "Look at how thin his face has become!"

"....?" The youth tried to reach out for his brother's hand. "Edgar, what is it...?" Edgar shook his head and ran away, pounding down the stairs into the basement of the library. The youth dropped his hand and collapsed into a chair, shocked.

"Tears...?" He whispered, his heart skipping a beat.

**********

"Edgar!"

"What, huh?" Edgar asked, snapping out of his daydream. Locke was glaring at him from across their meeting table, drumming his fingers on the table.

"Were you paying attention to anything I told you?" Locke asked, and Edgar shook his head.

"I'm sorry Locke. I was just...thinking about Sabin again." Locke widened his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

"No, I'm sorry." Locke apologized. "I didn't realize that..."

"Lets forget it." Edgar said, and put on a smile. "So, what were you saying now...?"

**********

"Yes...his name is Sabin." Matron said, and sighed. "Oh, he looked so like his father! When he ran away, he was a sweet little child. I wonder...what he's like now?" Terra shook her head.

"I'm sorry." She said, and left the room. As she was making her way back to the throne room, she listened in on even more interesting conversations. One of them were a pair of scholars arguing in the library.

"Long ago, a force called "magic" existed. People who used magic were called "Mage Knights."" One read from a book to prove a point he had made when Terra was not in the room.

"Magic..." She murmured, looking at her hands.

"Scholars the world over are doing research on magic. Silly people, scholars..." Another scoffed, and they began arguing again.

In front of the doorways to the throne room, Terra saw Chancellor, who was talking to a young woman.

"The whole business of succession was so repugnant to Sabin, the King's brother, that... he fled the castle forever. The succession was settled with a coin toss..."

"Oh my goodness!" The woman exclaimed as Terra entered the throne room and shut the doors tightly behind her. What a sad story...She thought.

"Well, do you like my castle?" A voice boomed, and Terra looked up, frightened. However, she saw that it was only Edgar, and relaxed slightly. Before she could reply though, a soldier burst in, nearly knocking her over.

"King Edgar!" He exclaimed breathlessly. "Someone from the Empire to see you!" Terra blinked.

"Empire!" She said, and looked to Edgar. Edgar sighed and crawled off his throne, not looking too excited.

"Probably Kefka!" He said, and walked over to the soldier. "Excuse me, Terra..."

"Wait, if they're from the Empire, then shouldn't I...?" Terra stopped as Edgar shook his head.

"You'll be safer if you stay here." Edgar said, and left the room. Terra took a step back, feeling as if there was ice in her veins.

The tone of his voice had frightened her.

Chapter Four - Kefka, General of the Empire

Meanwhile, outside of Figaro Palace, the sun had risen high into the air, as it was now morning. The sands of Figaro desert were already hot to the touch, although, it was not necessarily because of the sun, but perhaps because of the hothead who was making his way towards Figaro...

"Damnit! Emperor Ghestal's stupid orders! Edgar, you pinhead! Why do you have to live in the middle of nowhere? These recon jobs SUCK!" A maniacal, high-pitched voice cut through the peace and serenity of the fresh morning. The man who was shouting like a buffoon suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared down at his brown boots with his beady blue eyes that were painted with many different colors of eye shadow that failed to match the rest of the paint on his face. The two troopers who had been marching with him stopped as well, and looked at each other. They knew what was coming.

"Ahem..." The clown-man said, eyeing each of them in a way that made chills run down their spines. "There's SAND on my boots!"

The two troopers dove to their knees immediately and began to brush off the man's boots swiftly but efficiently. When they were done, they both leaped up, shouting "Yes sir, all set sir!" In perfect unison.

"Idiots!" The clown-man exclaimed, and laughed loudly. The laugh was so deep and disturbing, it almost felt as if the sky above them would shatter and fall, crushing them. Actually, at this point, it was sort of what both troopers were hoping for. It wasn't the recon mission that sucked...it was being with HIM.

Finally, the clown-man and his two troopers arrived at Figaro's front gates. The soldier who was at post that had welcomed Locke and Terra now looked up, absolutely frightened, and gulped.

"Sir Kefka?!" He cried. "What on Earth do..."

"Outta my way!" Kefka squealed, and shoved the soldier aside. Pushing open the Figaro gates himself, Kefka stomped his way through the small hall and out into an open court of the castle, and then stopped. His troopers stopped promptly behind him, and saluted each other.

A few moments later, Edgar arrived, walking slowly and calmly towards Kefka, who couldn't seem to keep still. He was tapping his foot on the floor and adjusting the vibrant feather hair piece in his hair. Just to annoy Kefka, Edgar went up to his two troopers first. He was actually a bit worried and needed information he was sure Kefka would not share.

"I thought...we were allies!" Edgar said in a hushed whisper to one trooper. "What are you doing in my domain?" He turned to the other trooper. "Looking for more cities to destroy?"

"That's for us to know!" They both replied in unison, and Edgar sighed. Being allies with the Empire did not guarantee anything, it seemed. Edgar looked to Kefka and tried not to shudder. Kefka's interest in making himself look as atrocious and frightening as possible was working well. He reminded Edgar of a staring object in his childhood nightmares. None the less, Edgar put on a charming smile and put these thoughts aside.

"What brings Kefka, loyal servant to Emperor Gestahl, into our lowly presence?" Edgar asked calmly.

"A girl of no importance recently escaped from us." Kefka said dryly. "We heard she might have found refuge here..." Edgar played dumb and put on his thinking face, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hmmm...this wouldn't have anything to do with this "witch" everyone has been whispering about, would it?" Edgar asked slyly.

"Lies!" Kefka burst out, making his two troopers jump 10 feet into the air. "She merely...stole something of minor value. Is she here?"

If she is of no importance, and stole something of minor value, then why do you care, you foolish clown? Edgar thought. Your own lies make as much sense as that horrendous outfit you are wearing... Edgar wanted to point all of this out, but kept it to himself instead to share as a joke with Locke later on.

"Hmm...that's a tough question!" Edgar exclaimed, and Kefka face vaulted.

"What?!" Kefka cried. Edgar grinned.

"You see...there are more girls here, than grains of sand out there!" Edgar exclaimed proudly, and extended his arms to indicate the Figaro desert. "I can't keep track of 'em all!" Instead of laughing, Kefka merely smirked and put his hands on his hips.

"I'd hate to be you...if we found out you're lying!" Kefka said in a low tone, and turned to leave with his troopers behind him. But before he reached the doorway to exit the court, he turned again towards Edgar and spoke in a louder tone so that everyone else in the court could hear.

"I truly hope nothing happens to your...precious Figaro! Mwa-Ha!"

With that, Kefka left, and Edgar let out a breath of relief. He turned himself and walked back up the stairs to the entrance where he had come from, only to see Locke leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.

"I'd say that guy was missing a few buttons." Locke commented, but Edgar shook his head.

"Where is Terra?" He asked worriedly. Locke stepped aside and the doors opened, revealing a very frightened Terra. He face was pale, and her hands were clasped together so tightly, her knuckles had turned white. She had heard everything. The man's voice and laughter had been imprinted on her mind, and she remembered her dream when she had fallen in the Narshe mines. Had that man been the one who gave her the slave crown? Edgar realized she was not in the condition to hear anymore from him or Locke. They had traveled all night, and now it was morning. She needed rest.

"Take her to her room." Edgar said to Locke, and Locke nodded in reply. Terra shot Edgar a suspicious glance, but Edgar smiled and patted her shoulder.

"I'd love to chat with you, but the Chancellor and I must plan our strategy. Sometimes I hate being a king!" Edgar expected Terra to giggle, but instead, she stared at him blankly. Edgar sighed. "If you'll excuse me..." With that, Edgar pushed past Locke and Terra, and walked back to his throne room, closing the doors in Terra's face. Terra looked to Locke, but instead, he sighed himself and jerked a thumb to his right.

"Follow me." He said, and began to walk. Terra did as she was told, and soon, she found herself in a comfortable bed chamber that she had passed through before on her little exploration trek. She collapsed on the bed, realizing just how exhausted she was, and looked to Locke. He smiled and ran his fingers through his hair.

He's always smiling. Terra thought. It's like he doesn't have a care in the world. If only I were Locke Cole right now instead of Terra...than maybe I could figure something out to help myself.

"Don't you worry about a thing!" Locke exclaimed. "I'll...." Terra stopped him by holding up a finger.

"Locke..." She said. "Edgar told me about you. Is it true you are a thief?" Edgar had not really said such a thing, but she had heard that in some of the commotion she overheard in the castle. Locke turned red and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"That's TREASURE HUNTER!" He cried. Terra finally managed to crack a smile, which calmed Locke immediately. He sat down beside Terra on the bed and began to speak in a low whisper.

"On the surface, Edgar pretends to support the Empire. The truth is, he's collaborating with the Returners, an organization opposed to the Empire. I am his contact with that group... The old man you met in Narshe is one of us." Terra blinked. It all made sense now. Edgar had seemed awfully opposed to letting Terra meet with his 'allies'. She now saw that it was a trick. That meant Locke, Edgar, and the man in Narshe were enemies of the Empire, but yet, they were protecting one of its soldiers...her!

"Empire..." Terra trailed off. "But I'm a soldier of the Empire...!" Locke shook his head.

"That's not true! They were using you. Things are different now." Terra widened her eyes.

"I don't understand..." Terra trailed off. "What should I do?"

"I can't tell you what to do." Locke said. "But you don't have to decide right now. You'll soon find your way." With that, Locke stood up and left the bed chamber, closing the door behind him. Terra stared after him and then fell back on the bed, her heart racing.

"But how do I know...which way is right...?"

Terra slept for the rest of the day, her adventures finally taking their toll on her body. After Locke and Edgar had another short meeting with the Chancellor, Locke went to bed himself, and Edgar proceeded with the rest of his day alone. He could not help but worry about Kefka, even though the plan he, Locke, and the Chancellor had made was sure to work if needed.

Locke had a hard time sleeping, like usual. Nightmares crept in and out of his mind, causing him to toss and turn in bed. It was the usual thing...it was always about HER...her scream, the look on her face, before and after everything had happened...

Locke gasped and woke up, sweat dripping down his forehead. When he looked out the window, he could see that the sky had gotten dark. Has he slept the whole day? He must have. Locke sighed and flopped back on his pillow, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

Terra reminded him of her in almost every way there was, except for looks. He knew that was why he had wanted to help her so badly. She was alone and pathetic...with amnesia. It didn't have anything to do with the Returners, it had to do with...her...

Locke began to wonder if he could keep his promise to Terra. He wouldn't be able to, if she wanted to go back to the Empire.

Meanwhile, Edgar was also thinking about Terra, while lying in bed. He himself was still trying to figure out why the Empire found her so valuable. He knew that Kefka had said she was of no importance, which meant she had to have been important. Why was the Empire so bent out of shape about her being missing? She seemed like a normal Imperial Soldier. Did she know why? Did she have any idea at all why they wanted her? Her amnesia had become a real roadblock...

Suddenly, the Chancellor rushed in, in his nighttime robes. Edgar sat up and gasped.

"What's going on?" Edgar cried.

"Sir, you must throw your clothes on and please come out here immediately." Chancellor said, without much breath in his voice. He left, and Edgar crawled out of bed.

"What the...?"

A few moments later, Edgar emerged from his bed chamber, only to find Figaro Castle on fire! Although it was not very big yet, the small flames that were slowly eating at the castle's protective coverings were getting larger, and already the castle soldiers were freaking out.

"FIRE!" They all cried, running about frantically to warn everyone.

"What's happening?" Edgar cried, whirling around. Another soldier ran up to him.

"It's the Empire! It's KEFKA!" The soldier ran off, and Edgar was soon approached by Kefka moments later, with his two troopers.

"Fire! Fire! Heh heh heh..." The troopers snickered with one another as Kefka smiled evilly.

"Bring me the girl, now!" Kefka demanded.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" Edgar cried nervously, but he knew it was too late. In the end, Kefka always found out and got what he wanted, no matter what sacrifice it took.

Kefka shrugged. "Then welcome to my barbeque! Uwa-ha-ha!" Edgar sighed. He knew what he had to do now. He turned and ran back to the throne room doors, speaking with a soldier posted there.

"Get ready...!" He whispered.

"Yes sir!" The soldier said, and went into the throne room doors.

"Changed your mind?" Kefka asked, as he approached Edgar. Edgar looked at him sadly.

"I guess I have no choice..." He said, and turned toward a castle wall. He suddenly let out a high whistle, and three chocobos appeared below. Edgar dove off of the wall and landed on one of them, waving to Kefka as the chocobo kicked up sand. "....Or maybe I do!"

Kefka giggled. "Ack, shameful a king should flee, leaving his people behind! How utterly delightful!!!"

Edgar rode the chocobo at blinding speed to the other side of the castle, where Locke and Terra were waiting on a wall.

"Jump!" Edgar exclaimed, and with that, Locke and Terra both took flying leaps, landing on the second and third chocobos that were following Edgar's. As they were riding further and further away from the palace, Edgar shouted "Ok!! Dive NOW!"

"Yahooooo!" Locke yelled into the nighttime sky.

As the three disappeared from Figaro palace, a soldier pulled a lever down.

"Figaro Submerge Mode Engaged!"

All the soldiers in Figaro castle scrambled inside for safety as the palace began to pull itself together and sink under the sands of the Figaro desert. The Chancellor, watching Edgar and his comrades flee from the danger in the distance, gave a victory sign.

"No one can touch the people of Figaro!" He exclaimed, and disappeared down the trap door in the tower. The castle completely submerged a minute later, leaving Kefka totally wiped out in the cool Figaro desert face first on the ground. He pulled himself out of the sand and began cursing.

"Go!!!" He cried. "GET THEM!" His two troopers clanked by in Magitek Armor, and began to pursue Edgar, Locke, and Terra. Locke looked behind them, hearing the noise, and freaked out.

"Edgar!" He cried. "There is Magitek Armor right behind us!" Edgar looked behind him briefly and nearly fell off his chocobo.

"How are we going to outrun that?!" Edgar screeched. One of the armor units suddenly shot at the ground with a Tek missile, causing a huge explosion that made the chocobos go nuts. They began squawking and flapping their wings uncontrollably. But worst of all, they had stopped running.

"We're going to be crushed!" Locke cried, when suddenly, Terra whirled around on her chocobo, a frightening look in her eyes. She pulled her clasped hands apart, and Locke and Edgar could see that there was a burning glow now in between them!

"FIRE!" Terra screamed. The burning glow leaped from her hands and struck at the two armor units, suddenly igniting them in flames. The screams by the pilots inside were easily muffled by the terrific explosion that came next, blowing both armor units to pieces that flew and landed in random, steaming spots in the desert sands. Terra slowly lowered her hands, and found herself now being stared at by Locke and Edgar in a most peculiar way. Locke blinked and looked to Edgar.

"Edgar, what's the matter? You look...positively spooked!" Edgar gulped and looked to Locke.

"D-d-d-did you just see what I saw?" He asked nervously. Locke nodded and turned back to Terra.

"Yeah...this kid seems loaded for bear..."

"She's amazing, Locke! That was MAGIC! M-A-G-I-C!" It suddenly sunk into Locke's mind, and he freaked out, falling off his chocobo in a fluster.

"M-Magic...! She used Magic?!" He cried, his heart beating frantically. Edgar hopped off his chocobo, and walked over to Locke, helping him up. They began to whisper, and Terra just watched them, her heart full of confusion. She didn't understand why they were fussing over her. What had just happened? She used her power and...

She blinked and clasped her hand over her chest.

What were they calling it....magic?

Edgar and Locke both turned back to Terra, walking over to her chocobo.

"Terra, where on Earth did you learn that?" Edgar asked. Terra gulped. They seemed angry.

"......... Sorry......I......um......" She began to struggle with her words.

"Look, I didn't mean to make such a big deal of this......" Locke apologized quickly.

"Me either......it's just that I've never actually SEEN magic before! Where did you...?" Edgar added, without much of a reply from Terra. She just stood there, watching them with blank eyes.

"Edgar, Terra can use magic, and we can't." Locke said. "That's the only difference between us. The fact is......we could use her help!" Terra suddenly smiled, her eyes brightening. So they weren't afraid or angry! She was very relieved.

"Thank you, Locke, thank you Edgar!" She exclaimed. "I promise I'll help if anyone else comes after us..." She gave a slight wink, and Locke and Edgar nearly passed out. She was helping them! They now knew why the famous Imperial Soldier girl was so famous! And she was assisting the Returners! Terra looked at them and smirked.

"Stop swooning!" She exclaimed, and Locke and Edgar shook themselves out of it. Climbing back on their chocobos, they once again continued on from Figaro without further interruptions.

Edgar looked back and waved at the place where Figaro Palace once stood.

"Bravo, Figaro!" Edgar called, and clapped as they rode off into the distance.

**********

"Son of a submariner!" Kefka shrieked. He was all alone, his troopers had been killed, and he was pissed off to no end. That little witch had been hiding there the whole time! Edgar's unwavering loyalty to the Empire had been totally fabricated, and it looked as if Edgar might even be a Returner! If that were true, then that would mean the Returners knew many of the Empire's greatest secrets. And that other boy...the brown- haired fellow...who was he? A Returner as well? That made him another enemy, and an annoying one at that. Kefka growled and clenched his fists together.

"They'll pay for this..."

Chapter Five - Duncan's Son, Blitz Disciple Vargas

The moon was at its highest as the three young fighters continued at a steady pace south. The danger had long since past, and Terra had finally began to feel relaxed with her two comrades. She felt that she knew their true intentions now...they were not for the Empire, who obviously wanted them dead.

But Kefka sent those soldiers after me too. Terra thought. He knew I was with them, and yet, he tried to finish me off as well...If I were apart of the Empire, then why would he want to hurt me? This is confusing...

"This is great!" Locke exclaimed, interrupting her thoughts.

"....Those people were from the Empire, right?" Terra asked, just to make sure. "Because....now...I'm scared..." Edgar smiled a little and looked to Terra.

"Terra, there is someone I'd like you to meet!" He said.

"We're members of the Returners." Locke began to explain, but Edgar interrupted him.

"Our mentor, Banon, would certainly like to meet you." Edgar gushed excitedly. "Magic is going to be the key to winning this war...!"

"Magic..." Terra trailed off.

"Terra, you have magical powers." Locke said. "And...Arvis told me that it was almost like the Esper in Narshe had some sort of reaction to you. You were the only soldier left in the mineshaft out of the 3 that went in. Could there be a connection?"

"I...haven't the foggiest!" Terra replied. "It just seems natural to me that I have the use of this power..."

"But no HUMAN is born with the powers you seem to have and..." Edgar suddenly stopped when Terra tugged on the reins of her chocobo, jerking it to an immediate stop. Her heart felt as if someone had frozen it over. Locke shot Edgar a look, and they both walked their chocobos over to Terra.

"I....apologize." Edgar said softly. Terra looked at him and shook her head.

"Thank you...but it is not only that." She said. "What should I do...?"

"I'm sure the Empire is going to come after you... If they get their hands on you again, the world's finished... Terra, you want to understand your own powers, right?" Edgar chose his words carefully, and Terra nodded.

"Then I think we need to consult with Banon." Edgar concluded. Terra sighed. Like she had any choice...where else would she go? There was no doubt in her mind now that going back to the Empire would just be plain dangerous...perhaps this Banon person could tell her something she

could use to the advantage of gaining some insight into her own life. She looked at Edgar and nodded slightly.

"Ok!" Edgar exclaimed. "There is a cave to the south that leads to South Figaro!"

"We can rest there and prepare for the trip to the Returner's hideout." Locke said. "It's a pretty long journey."

"I'll feel up for anything as long as I can rest up for it!" Terra smiled. "Lets go!"

About a half an hour later, which was filled with small talk and deeper introductions, the party reached Figaro cave. Stationed outside the front entrance was a Figaro soldier with a chocobo, who immediately saluted Edgar as he rode up to him.

"King Edgar!" The soldier exclaimed. "Where are you headed at this time of night?"

"Through the cave, eastward to South Figaro." Edgar replied, as he hopped off his chocobo. "We'll have to leave our chocobos here, you guys. They won't be able to travel through the cave without getting hurt or left behind eventually." Edgar then turned to the soldier. "Return to the castle, and tell the others we are safe."

"Yes sir! Take care!" The soldier exclaimed, jumping on his own chocobo. He whistled and he other chocobos that had come with Terra, Locke, and Edgar followed him as well, and soon, they were out of sight. Edgar looked to Locke and Terra and smiled.

"I'll lead." He said. "It's not everyday I get to leave the castle and explore like this! It's exciting!"

The trek through the cave was quick and harmless. Any monsters that had been hiding in the cave were sleeping for the night, so no one was attacked. However, their only setback was at the entrance, where Locke had noticed something strange about the walls in the first part of the cave.

"They look like that they have been pulled apart and then put back together." He commented casually as he narrowed his eyes and ran his fingers down the walls.

"That's impossible Locke, you can't tear apart a cave wall like that." Edgar said, and laughed. "And even if you did, you would need a ton of machinery to put it back together."

"I'm just commenting!" Locke exclaimed, eyeing the wall suspiciously. "Besides, what do you know Edgar? You said yourself you don't get out much."

"Be quiet." Edgar said, and Terra giggled.

The team eventually exited the cave, and walked down a faded dirt path the Edgar said he was sure would lead south. However, before they got to South Figaro, they came across a small house which had a small garden out front and a drinking water well. Edgar blinked and stopped, taking a deep breath.

"Hmm...what's that smell?" He asked.

"Are you so tired, you're hallucinating?" Locke asked. "I don't smell anything."

"Well...I sort of do." Terra said. "And I am a little hungry...can we go inside and ask them for something to eat?"

"It's in the middle of the night!" Locke exclaimed, but it was too late. Edgar and Terra had walked up to the door, and knocked. However, no one answered. Edgar knocked again, but still, there was no answer.

"Lets just go in." Edgar said, and Locke shook his head. Edgar was so naive. You couldn't just walk into someone's home...

Edgar opened the door, but the whole group was surprised to see that there were lights on in the home, with no one there. A bed had been messily made, steaming tea was resting on a stove that it had been recently been made on, and a china cabinet had been left open.

Edgar turned to the bouquet of flowers that was set on a table and lifted them, inhaling deeply.

"So this is what I smelled..." He trailed off. The flowers were a beautiful blue color. He set them down and said under his breath "They were his favorite...."

Terra walked up to the stove and looked at the tea pot.

"This smells like green tea." She said.

"That was his favorite too..." Edgar said softly.

"Eh?" Locke asked, but Edgar ignored him and walked over to the china cabinet, closing it and latching it shut.

"These...his favorite dishes!" Edgar smiled, and Terra and Locke looked at each other.

"I think we should just spend the night here." Edgar said. "We can go to South Figaro tomorrow...."

"If you say so." Locke said, not bothering to argue.

"I want to sleep in the bed!" Terra exclaimed, and leaped in the messy bed. Locke yawned and stretched, getting down onto the floor. Edgar did as well. Inside, he was secretly hoping that the owner of this home would come back...there was something he wanted to see...

However, morning came, and no one had returned to the home. The group ended up sleeping in until noon, when Terra rose and awoke everyone with a fresh cup of green tea that she had made herself. Making sure to leave the house as they had found it, the party then left, only to see an old man outside by the well, drinking from a bucket of fresh water he had drawn.

"What the..." Edgar trailed off, and the old man looked at them. Edgar cleared his throat. "You know this guy?" He said this as he jerked a thumb back towards the house. The man nodded.

"Of course. He left a couple of days ago after he heard Master Duncan was slain. He headed into the mountains. I heard Duncan's son, Vargas, is missing as well. I have a bad feeling about this..." The man hitched the backpack he had on his shoulders up higher and waved, walking off.

"Master Duncan?" Terra questioned.

"I've heard of him." Locke said. "He's famous for a form of martial arts that I heard can only be learned by the purest of heart. He has a son named Vargas, who is also training with him. I guess the guy that lives here also trains under Duncan."

"Oh!" Terra said. "Well, lets go...I am eager to see South Figaro!"

"I'll be right with you guys, I'm just going to get some water." Edgar said. Locke took Terra away from the house and further down the dirt path, but Edgar, instead of getting the water, gazed at the blue blossoms that were out in the garden.

"Sabin...was he here?" Edgar asked himself. Turning to leave, he then ran and caught up with Locke and Terra.

South Figaro was a bustling port town, and because it was noon, almost everyone was out either shopping or on their lunch break from work. Merchants streamed the town, all shouting to advertise their wears and stopping mothers on the street with their children to show off new toys and gadgets. Seagulls swarmed the air from the port and landed on the streets, trying to snatch up food from the fish markets or from little kids' hands.

"Oh wow...!" Terra exclaimed. "What a wonderful city...it's so busy and bursting with activity..."

"Yes...it is great here, isn't it?" Edgar asked happily. "I hardly ever get to come here, and when I do, I am usually escorted with guards and I don't go many places."

"Well, I've been here plenty of times." Locke said, and put his hand over his forehead to shield his eyes from the sun.

"I'm starved!" Edgar exclaimed. "Do you know any good places to eat, Locke?"

"I sure do!" Locke exclaimed. "Follow me! There is a small cafe around here somewhere that has the best antlion steak ever!" Terra and Edgar excitedly followed Locke, and they soon entered a cafe that was next store to the inn, and it was full off people and kids that were running about and settling down to eat. There was one empty table left, and Locke dashed to get it before anyone else could. Edgar took his time and pulled out a chair for Terra, receiving a grateful smile from her as a thanks. When all three of them were seated, Locke picked up a menu and began to show Terra some things she might enjoy. Locke laughed as Terra decided that she would order almost one of everything on one side of the menu. She had a big appetite for such a petite lady, and reminded him so much of an innocent child.

Minutes later, the waitress came, and took everyone's orders. As she walked away, Edgar looked up and happened to notice a strange sight at the bar across from their table. It was a tall, built up man

dressed in all black, sipping down a mug of beer. Even his face was hidden by a black mask. Beside him, sitting as still as a statue, was a black Doberman dog that was full grown.

"Oh, I'll be right back." Locke said quickly, and stood up. Edgar raised his eyebrows. "I'm going up to the bar to get our waitress. I think I forgot to tell her that I wanted water with my meal."

"Alright." Terra replied.

Locke left the table, walking up to the bar. The waitress behind it turned and smiled, and they engaged in small conversation. She noted Locke's additional order, and Locke was about to sit down, when he noticed the man in black staring right at him. Locke put on a smile and raised a hand.

"Good afternoon sir!" Locke said friendlily, but the man remained silent. He looked away from Locke and back to his drink. Locke furrowed his brow and crossed his arms over his chest. Edgar gasped and stood up immediately.

"Edgar, where are you going?!" Terra cried.

"I'm dragging Locke away from his new friend before he gets his throat slit." Edgar said, and Terra blinked confusedly. Edgar marched up to Locke and took his arm as Locke began to speak again.

"At the very least, you could give me a response..." Locke muttered, and Edgar yanked him away.

"Stand back!" Edgar hissed, and Locke looked at the king in surprise.

"Wha?" Locke asked. "The guy was being rude to me..."

"He seems vaguely familiar!" Edgar whispered, and pulled Locke back to the table, forcing him down in his seat. Terra looked back at the man in black and then turned to Edgar. He had her full attention.

"That's Shadow!" Edgar said in a hushed whisper over the table. "He's an assassin, and he's slit his momma's throat for a GP any day!" Locke and Terra both got twin looks of shock on their face, and didn't bother to turn to look at the man in black again.

"Better steer clear of him, I guess..." Locke trailed off. However, right then, the waitress returned with everybody's orders, and soon thoughts of Shadow had been abandoned by all and replaced by overwhelming hunger.

After their lunch, the party spent another hour strolling through town and stopping at the local shops to pick up supplies and to upgrade weapons. Soon, they were on their way out of South Figaro and to the nearest mountain path that would take them to the Returner's H.Q., Mt. Kolts. Terra cleared her throat and Locke and Edgar turned to her as they began to climb their way up on the rocky path.

"Terra?" Locke asked.

"I don't know." Terra said, and looked about them. The path they were taking was occasionally clustered with grass patches or rocks, and it was slowly ascending higher. Other cliffs could be seen

in the distance, but they weren't high or dangerous. Terra gasped as a black shadow suddenly leaped at her left. She looked around, but couldn't see a thing.

"Feels like someone is...following us." Terra said, and bit her lip.

"You're probably just paranoid because of that Shadow story I told you!" Edgar said, and laughed. Terra gasped again and clutched her hands together.

"What if it IS Shadow!?" She cried, and began to run further up the path. "Lets hurry up....!"

"Wait up!" Locke called, and soon, he and Edgar were both chasing after the emerald-haired girl, and both having an equally hard time catching up to her. Terra soon passed through a small cave, and was out of sight. Locke panted for breath and stopped to rest in front of the entrance of the cave before proceeding. Edgar stopped beside him and wiped his brow.

"She looks frail, but..." Edgar began to joke, when suddenly, a scream rang throughout the air, causing the mountain cockatrice monsters that were perched on the edge of some of the cliffs to take off flying. Locke and Edgar looked at each other.

"Terra!"

The two took off running through the cave at lightning speed, and when they emerged, were encountered with a sight neither was expecting.

Terra was lying on the ground, trying to push herself back up. Standing over her was a tall, tanned man that was built up with so many muscles, that was all he seemed to be made of. His dark hair was pulled into a small ponytail at the top of his head, and loose locks of hair whipped around in the mountain wind. His white pants were torn and dirty in several spots, and his chest gleamed with sweat in the sunlight. He turned his glare over to Locke and Edgar, who looked puny compared to him, and smirked.

"What did you do to Terra?" Edgar demanded, and Terra finally stood up, limping her way over to Locke's side. She was still in shock from being so suddenly attacked by the man. All she had done was emerge from the cave, when blinding winds came at her and paralyzed her in place! It was then that the man appeared, and grabbed her, shoving her down.

"So, Sabin sent you, eh?" He had shouted to her. Terra's eyes glazed over in memory of that name...Sabin was Edgar's twin brother! Did the man see Edgar with Terra on the mountain path and mistake him for Sabin...? She brought a hand to her head as the man now shouted that same question to Locke and Edgar.

"So, Sabin sent you?" He demanded. Edgar blinked and Locke held onto Terra.

"Who are YOU?" Locke demanded, but Edgar also spoke.

"Sabin?" Edgar asked worriedly. "Is he here?"

"I am Vargas, the son of the great Blitz Master Duncan!" The tanned man exclaimed, followed by deep laughter.

"You were the one shadowing us earlier!" Locke cried. "So Terra was right. We were being followed..."

"Brilliant!" Vargas exclaimed, and smiled slyly. "And how unlucky it is...that you have run into me!!" With that, Vargas charged at the party, bringing his hands together and shouting a few words.

"Purity Drive!" He shouted, and he was suddenly covered in a white light that blinded everyone. Terra, Locke, and Edgar all felt, however, the hard blows that were dealt to each of them as Vargas plowed through, knocking them all to the ground breathless. Terra, being beaten down for the second time now, cried out the loudest in pain, now too weak to even draw a sword to defend herself. Locke and Edgar both staggered to their feet, and glared at Vargas as he laughed loudly, now standing by the mouth of the cave.

"Is this...the true power of a Blitz?" Locke moaned as he held his badly bruised arm.

"ENOUGH!" Vargas exclaimed, and brought his hands together, preparing another attack. "Of with ya now!"

"Why....are you....attacking...us..." Terra panted, lifting her head. Vargas smirked, but before he could answer...

"Give it up, Vargas!"

A strong and deep voice suddenly called out from behind the party. With a swift leap, the voice's owner did a powerful flip, landing in between Vargas and the others. He stood tall, his big hands set on his hips as the small blonde ponytail his hair was set in brushed gently back and forth across the back of his neck. His body, also bound with muscles, was much more toned and built nicer then Vargas'. The royal blue muscle shirt he was wearing actually resembled the colors that Edgar was wearing. The man dug his brown boots into the ground, and Vargas snickered.

"Is that you, Sabin?" Vargas asked. Edgar, Locke, and Terra all looked to each other, shock set in their facial features.

Prince Sabin? King Edgar's long lost brother?!

Chapter Six - Prince of Figaro, Blitz Master Sabin

"Vargas!" The blonde man cried, his voice suddenly filled with pain and torment. Terra could still not see their savior's face. "Why'd you do it? How could you do your own father in like that...?"

"Do in his father?" Locke asked.

"So, Vargas was slain by his son!" Edgar concluded. Hearing this made Vargas narrow his eyes hatefully.

"Fool!" He roared. "He made the mistake as choosing you as his successor! He snubbed me, his only son...!"

"No!" The blonde replied. "It was you he chose, Vargas!"

"You're a LIAR!" Vargas screamed.

"Our master wanted you to be the successor, not me..." The blonde trailed off, looking down. "He appreciated your fine spirit..." But Vargas wouldn't take it anymore. He brought his hands together, forming a blue ball of light between them.

"Enough of your lies!" He said, and burst out laughing. "Now, have a taste of my superior technique!" He spread his hands apart slightly and then thrust them forward, toward the blonde as well as the rest of the party.

"Mortal Attack! Blizzard Fist!" He exclaimed. All at once, the blue glow left his hands, flying out at the opposing party. The blonde brought his arms up and over his chest and face, blocking the attack, but Terra and the others were immediately hit, unprepared. The chilling winds collided into them, freezing their bodies at first contact for a paralyzing effect. Then, a more powerful gust of wind emerged from Vargas' hands, a gust so powerful it began to blow away the team. Terra, too exhausted to even attempt resistance, was blown away first, by about 20 yards. Edgar followed, falling to his knees as he was blown back. Locke's own strength finally gave out, and he was slammed back into Edgar.

Only the blonde remained, his arms still crossed over his chest and face. Every few moments, he would be pushed back an inch or two, but that was it. Finally, the attack gave out, and the blonde lowered his arms to his side, inhaling deeply. Vargas smirked and put his hands on his hips.

"Ahhh...Sabin, the master has taught you well." He said.

So...his name IS Sabin... Terra's thoughts began to trail off on their own and blur.

"I guess there is no avoiding this!" Sabin said sadly, and stood in a fighting stance. Vargas laughed some more.

"Fate made us train together, and fate will send you...to your doom!" Vargas declared. "Doom Fist!" With that, Vargas made a few motions and signals with his hands, directing them at Sabin and keeping his dark eyes locked on Sabin's baby blues the whole time. Suddenly, Sabin gasped, feeling

as if he had been punched in the stomach. He fell to his knees, and clutched at his chest. He couldn't breathe!

"You will perish in 20 seconds." Vargas said coolly, and locked eyes with Terra's defeated party. "And you, will be the next to go! I tire of your patheticness!" Vargas was about to cast his Doom Fist blitz again, when Sabin suddenly stood up, anger in his eyes. Vargas may have been able to attack from a distance, but that just meant that hand-to-hand combat was his weakness! Sabin kept the faults of his former friend in mind as he held up his right hand.

"Pummel!" Sabin cried. His right hand filled with a white holy light that quickly washed over his whole body. With a blinding leap, Sabin jumped at Vargas, showering him with multiple punches that went by so fast, nothing could define where one hand stopped and another began. Vargas cried out and fell to his knees, the light now leaving Sabin's body and covering Vargas'. Terra gasped when she realized that Vargas' body was beginning to disappear!

"He....he taught you that one already?" Vargas moaned, doubling over.

"If only you hadn't have been in such a rush for power..." Sabin trailed off, and turned his back to Vargas. With a final cry of shock and envy, Vargas disappeared, with nothing remaining of his presence except for the metal knuckle he had worn on his left fist. Sabin took a deep breath and sighed. All of Vargas' blitz spells had been broken.

Terra stood up, surprised that the cold feeling over her body had disappeared. Locke and Edgar soon followed, brushing off their clothing and Locke adjusting his bandana. They only suffered from bruises and confused hearts from the battle that just took place. Edgar, however, was getting a warm sensation in his chest as he looked Sabin up and down. It was almost like looking into a mirror...

"Sabin!" Edgar cried, and began to run to Sabin. He threw his arms around him, and Sabin widened his eyes, hesitantly embracing Edgar. The two really did look like mirror reflections of each other, Terra noted. However, it was clear that Sabin got out a lot more then Edgar, for he was leaner, tanner, and his hair was cut and dried out from the sun.

"Big brother..." Sabin trailed off. Locke grinned and jumped in the air.

"The Figaro brothers are reunited!" He exclaimed, and Terra also smiled, clapping her hands together. However, she was surprised.

"He's the younger brother!?" She cried. "At first glance...I thought he was a bodybuilder who had strayed from his gym..." Terra blinked as Sabin laughed and released Edgar.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" He exclaimed, and suddenly, Terra felt very stupid for commenting at all. Sabin looked to Edgar and tilted his head. "Anyway, brother, what are you doing here?"

"We're on our way to the Sabil Mountains..." Edgar trailed off.

"To the Returner's Hideout, no doubt?" Sabin asked, and Edgar nodded.

"You know about the Returners and your brother?" Locke asked. Sabin looked to him and nodded sadly, looking down.

"I've been watching from afar...hoping that the world might regain some sanity. At this rate, Figaro will be reduced to a puppet state..." Sabin trailed off.

"But our time to strike back has arrived!" Edgar cried. "The Empire...is going to pay for what it has done!" Sabin looked up to Edgar, and for a moment, Locke and Terra felt left out...it was as if the Figaro brothers had a secret...

"Think...a bear like me could help you in your fight?" Sabin asked, and Edgar gasped.

"You would join us, Sabin?" He exclaimed happily.

"I think...Duncan would rest easier if he knew his disciple played a part in bringing peace to the world..." Sabin smiled and reached down, picking up the metal knuckle Vargas had left behind. Flexing his fingers, he slipped it over his left hand. It was a perfect fit.

"Then let’s get going!" Locke exclaimed. Sabin nodded, and they began to walk down the path together as a new party of 4.

"I'm Sabin Rene Figaro!" Sabin said. "And you are...?"

"World-Renowned Treasure Hunter and Returner Locke Cole!" Locke said proudly, and both Terra and Edgar raised their eyebrows.

"You mean thief!" Terra pointed out and Locke nearly tripped on the path. Edgar and Sabin both laughed, and Sabin peered at Terra.

"And who are you...?" He asked. "Surely, you are not one of Edgar's girlfriends...you look way too pretty and smart..." Terra giggled as Edgar nearly followed Locke in tripping.

"I am Terra..." She said, and looked down at her hands. It was all she could really tell him that she was sure of. However, Sabin did not pressure her for more information, for which she was grateful.

"Well, nice to meet you both, Terra, and Locke." Sabin said. "But Terra...you never told me...are you Edgar's girlfriend, or not?" Terra blinked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"No way!" She said firmly, and Edgar reeled back in horror as the others walked on ahead of him.

"Hey, what is THAT supposed to mean?!" He called after them. When no one turned to reply, he put his hands on his hips and made a face.

"Come, brother, you're going to be left behind!" Sabin called, and smiled. Edgar couldn't help but smile back, and began to run after the others. His heart was full of confidence and pride. With his own brother on their side, the Returners couldn't lose! And...

....The Empire would be paid back for the horrible crime they committed against the Figaros...so long ago...

**********

When the team arrived at the Sabil Mountain Range, they were immediately greeted by a young man dressed in leather with a pair of eye goggles pushed up in his hair to stay out of his face when not needed.

"King Edgar!" He exclaimed, running to the group. "This way, please!"

"Hello!" Edgar said. "Please take us right to Banon."

The young man led the group to the mouth of a cavern and entered, waving to other men who were dressed like him as he passed through a few rooms and tunnels. Crates and pots lined some of the walls, while other rooms had beds and tables. Terra could even smell something wonderful cooking from another room not too far away. Although it was dim inside the halls, lots of rooms were brightly lit with oil lamps and filled with the commotion of friendly voices.

"...This is it." The man said, and opened a new doorway that they had come to. Terra went in first, and saw that it was a simple, small room, with a cot in the corner for a bed, a table with two chairs, and a couple of sets of bookshelves filled with books. Sitting at the table was an elderly man with wild red hair that seemed to go every which way, wearing clean-pressed robes and reading a book. He looked up and took off his reading glasses, setting them on the table and standing up.

"Banon!" Edgar exclaimed happily. "We brought the girl with us..." Terra blinked and looked at the man again. This was Banon?

"Is she the girl...who can talk to Espers?" Banon asked, as he approached them slowly.

"....Espers...?" Terra trailed off.

"It seems like the Empire had complete control over her." Edgar said, resting a hand on Terra's shoulder.

"Carrier pigeons brought word that she wiped out 50 of the Empire's best soldiers in a few minutes." Banon began, but Terra gasped and shook her head.

"That's a LIE!" She screamed, tears springing to her eyes. No, there was no way that could have been her! She jerked away from Edgar and covered her face, burning with embarrassment and shame.

"Terra...!" Locke said softly.

"Banon, she doesn't remember ANYTHING." Edgar explained. He was about to approach the old man, but Banon held out his hand and shook his head.

"Stay where you are!" He demanded. Banon then walked up to Terra, who peeked between her fingers and eventually lowered her hands, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Perhaps...you have heard this story?" Banon asked, and spoke directly to her. "Once, when people were pure and innocent, there was a box they were told never to open. But one man went and opened it anyway. He unleashed all the evils of the world: envy... greed... pride... violence... control... All that was left in the box was a single ray of light: Hope."

Terra blinked and didn't say anything in reply.

"We now confront...those evils." Banon said, looking to the rest of the group. Locke and Edgar looked at each other, and Banon then gazed back to Terra. "And you are the last ray of light, our only hope..." Terra widened her eyes and lowered her head. She didn't know how to reply.

"Banon!" Edgar said coolly, but Banon shook his head.

"I'm so tired...let me rest a while." Banon said, and left the room, pushing through Locke and Edgar. Terra was about to open her mouth to speak, but Locke stopped her.

"Lets get some rest for ourselves." Locke suggested.

**********

A few hours later, Terra awoke from her nap in the guest room some of the other Returners provided for her and spotted Locke sleeping in the chair next to her cot that she was sleeping on. She smiled and little and pushed some of her hair our of her eyes. As she was creeping out of the cot, Locke suddenly looked up and let out a loud yawn, making Terra laugh.

"Sleep well?" He asked, and Terra nodded.

"What about you?" She questioned. "That chair doesn't look comfortable!"

"Heh, my special talent is that I can sleep anywhere." Locke joked. "My favorite place is in fields though. Nice, warm, sun-kissed fields are the best place ever...to sleep!" Terra laughed again, and Locke laughed with her.

"It's good to see you smile." He said. "Don't mind Banon, he's not trying to pressure you into anything. Anyone who joins the Returners does it for their own reasons. He didn't force one of us here against our wills..."

"Locke." Terra said, interrupting him and turning serious. "Why...did you join the Returners...?" Locke blinked and turned serious himself.

"Someone important to me was jailed by the Empire. I've hated the Empire ever since... I joined the Returners when I realized the Empire was rotten to the core. I wanted to make...a difference." Terra sighed and wrapped her arms around herself.

"But I have no significant "other" in my life..." Locke stood up and shook his head.

"That's not entirely true." Locke said firmly. "Besides, I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who feel YOU'RE important to them! They are counting on you..." Terra sighed. She didn't know how much more she could take of people telling her how very important she was when she knew

she really wasn't. How could anyone have faith in a girl who couldn't even remember her own name without struggling?

Terra left the room and ran into Sabin, who was joking around with another Returner. He smiled at Terra and gave her a pat on the back that nearly made her fall over.

"The only thing I could add is that you can trust my brother implicitly." He said. "He's always been fair with me. You can trust him Terra...but..." Terra widened her eyes, and Sabin suddenly burst out laughing. "Don't you DARE tell him I said that!" Sabin continued to laugh as Terra smiled weakly and moved on, going into a room filled with cots and pots of medicines. This must have been the resting quarters. Terra spotted Edgar resting on a bed, and gave a little wave as he looked over to her.

"Hi Terra!" He smiled. "Feeling better?"

"Yes." She said, and nodded. "Thank you." Edgar nodded back and sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

"It's gonna be tough to talk you into helping us... If we push too hard, we're no different than the Empire. So we want you to make up your own mind, alright?" Terra blinked.

"How...did you know I was going to ask you about that, Edgar?" She asked. Edgar smiled and closed his eyes.

"Well, Terra, this may sound like boasting...but I suppose I have been blessed with many natural talents...which include charming the ladies, charming the politicians..." He laughed and went on. "I'm also a bit psychic!" Edgar grinned and opened his eyes to see Terra's reaction, but she was gone.

".....Eh?" He blinked and looked around. "Terra, where did you go?"

"Whew." Terra murmured as she slipped out of the resting quarters. "Didn't think I could escape something like that." She went down another hallway and ran into two more Returners, who both smiled at her and waved.

"We're a small organization now, but our membership is soaring!" One exclaimed.

"Please join us in our battle." The other added. Another Returner came up from behind Terra with a few datasheets in his hands, and sighed as he pushed past her and handed them to the two who were talking.

"The Empire is arresting Returners everywhere." He explained to them as Terra walked away. "We need to discover some means of fighting back, or..."

Terra shivered. She needed to go outside. She made her way to the hideout entrance, only to see Banon sitting outside on a flat rock. Terra gulped and walked over to him, giving him a slight bow. He looked to her and nodded.

"What brings you out here?" Banon asked. Terra shrugged and shook her head.

"I see." Banon said. He didn't waste time with small talk though. He got right to the point. "Have you made a decision? Will you become our last ray of hope?" Terra blinked and felt tears gathering in her eyes.

"...No!" She cried. But Terra suddenly became very embarrassed at her outburst and turned, fleeing inside the hideout again. She sighed and pressed herself against a wall, her chest heaving up and down from her struggled breathing.

"What am I going to do...what am I going to do?!" She whispered. Suddenly, Banon came into the hall calling out for help. Terra gasped as a few Returners rushed passed her to the entrance of the cave, including Locke, Sabin, and Edgar.

"Come on!" Edgar cried, grabbing Terra's arm to pull her along. When they reached the hideout entrance though, Terra gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

A badly wounded man had collapsed in the entrance way, covered in blood and gashes. He let out a soft moan and cringed as he struggled to speak, but no sound came.

"What's going on, what happened?" Banon cried.

"Someone did a number on him..." Locke murmured.

"Hurry, treat his wounds immediately!" A female Returner exclaimed. "He'll be ok! Banon, sir, if you'll excuse us, you really should not be in our way."

"Oh, of course." Banon said, and gestured for Terra, Locke, Edgar, and Sabin to follow him. They entered a conference room and all sat down, Banon last. Everyone looked up to him as he spoke. A few Returners who were not helping out with the rescue slipped in at the last minute to listen as well.

"....Well, that looked like the doing of Magitek Armor." Banon began, and sighed. "We all know that the Empire is using Magitek power in battle. The point is, how has the Emperor created it?"

"I had Locke look into the rumor that the Empire has forced the world's finest scholars to study Espers." Edgar said.

"And it's true, for the most part." Locke said. "All the trouble in Narshe is over an Esper too, which just makes me more suspicious..."

"You mean there is some connection between Espers and Magitek?" Terra questioned.

"I...can only think of one connection remotely similar to what is happening now..." Banon trailed off.

"You don't mean..." Edgar gasped.

"Indeed!" Banon said. "The ancient War of the Magi, in which Espers and Magitek powers were also in conflict..."

"No!" One Returner cried.

"It can't be!"

"My Grandma used to tell me stories about magical machines..." Locke began, and leaned back in his seat. "Could they have been true?"

"Could that ancient tragedy be playing out once again?" Edgar questioned.

"It's just speculation." Banon said. "But historical studies have provided a number of conflicting and frightening theories... According to one theory, humans and machines were imbued with powers drained from Espers... "

"That could explain Magitek power..." Terra said thoughtfully.

"But we can only fight Magitek enemies with Magitek weapons!" Edgar protested.

"It is risky." Banon said. "But if we could have Terra speak with that Esper, perhaps, it would wake up..."

"I am wondering if that is wise, sir." Edgar said.

"Who can say?" Banon replied. "Regardless, we need Terra's help..." Locke stood up and placed his hands on Terra's shoulders.

"Terra..." He trailed off. Terra looked back at Locke and put on a small smile.

"Someone important to me was jailed by the Empire. I've hated the Empire ever since... I joined the Returners when I realized the Empire was rotten to the core. I wanted to make...a difference."

"The only thing I could add is that you can trust my brother implicitly." He said. "He's always been fair with me. You can trust him Terra..."

"Please join us in our battle!"

All of these people...they want to fight....fight against something that isn't right at all! Terra thought to herself. More sacrifices may be made....if I do not help out as well. They saved me from harm in Narshe...

"I'll do it!" Terra exclaimed. Everyone smiled and Banon let out a sigh of relief, but Sabin smirked and leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the table.

"Nonsense!" He smirked. "You sound as if you are enjoying this..."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a door opening, and a Returner rushed into the conference room.

"Emergency sir, another messenger has come back wounded."

"What?!" Banon rushed out of the conference room, Terra, Locke, Edgar, and Sabin on his heals. Another man was in the entrance way of the hideout, however, he was holding his arm, which appeared to be the only thing injured.

"South Figaro..." He moaned. "South Figaro has been taken by the Empire...and they are heading this way!"

"They found us...We haven't a moment to lose!" Banon cried.

"Locke!" Edgar exclaimed, and Locke smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I know... "Someone" has to sneak down into South Figaro and slow the Empire down, right?"

"Why, that's right up your alley!" Edgar exclaimed, and Locke tried not to laugh during this serious period.

"Terra." Locke said, turning to her. "Please wait for me in Narshe. And also, don't let a lecherous young king, who shall remain nameless, near you!"

"Locke!" Edgar exclaimed, blushing crazily. "Erm...good luck."

"...Big brother..." Sabin shook his head. Aren't you ever going to grow up?" With that, Locke gave a wave, and took off running out of the hideout, disappearing in moments. Terra watched him until Edgar spoke, making her attention go to him.

"What are we going to do?" Edgar asked.

"We'll escape down the Lete River, and make our way to Narshe that way." Banon explained quickly. "I want to see that Esper for myself..."

"Right, and there is a raft by the back entrance of this place?" Edgar asked, and Banon nodded. "It's a gamble, but we are fresh out of options..." Edgar turned to Terra. "You're in danger here. Come with us to Narshe. You'll probably even gain some understanding of your own abilities..."

"We have no time to dilly-dally!" Banon cried, heading for the back entrance of the Returner's Hideout. "We must hurry to Narshe now!"

Chapter Seven - Banon, Leader of the Returners

The sound of washing water could be heard even before Terra, Edgar, Sabin, and Banon reached the back entrance of the Returner's Hideout. The hidden exit was in Banon's room, and it was actually a small ledge that was right above a raging river outside that ran through the Sabil Mountain Range. Tied below to a hammered-in post was a wooden raft, made for such an emergency as this.

"Oh my goodness..." Terra trailed off.

"This raft will take us to Narshe!" Sabin exclaimed, and prepared to leap onto it from above. "Here we go!"

With that, he jumped off the ledge, landing onto the raft smoothly. Edgar and Banon soon followed, and Terra realized it was her turn. Taking a deep breath, she put on a strong smile for everyone, and gracefully took a leap onto the raft. When she landed, she nearly screamed and lost her balance as the raft shook slightly from her body's impact, however, Edgar and Sabin both grabbed one of her arms to keep her steady. Terra let out a breath of relief and gave them each a smile.

"Thanks guys!"

With that final remark, Banon kneeled down, quickly untying a small knot that was keeping the raft tied to a hammered-down post on the right side of the river. When it was released, he took a few steps back, towards the center of the raft, and cheered as the strong water current immediately took over and began to pull the raft and its passengers away, further and further down the Lete River...

Terra sighed happily and sat down on the raft, the rushing warm wind of the river blowing into her face and causing her ponytail to go flying like a shining flag of a most precious green shade. For some reason, she suddenly felt at ease...for the first time ever since this all began in Narshe. Why did she feel this way? She couldn't imagine why...perhaps it was because she knew that soon, she would see that Esper again...

Suddenly, Terra's heart skipped a beat, and she felt her face flush over. That Esper...she didn't even remember it, and yet, a strange feeling of remembrance had washed over her. It was calming as well...

"Hi Terra!!" Edgar exclaimed loudly from behind her, making her nearly leap off the raft and into the water. Terra whirled around and smiled weakly, raising a hand to wave.

"Hi Edgar." She said.

"What are you up to?" Edgar asked slyly, crossing his arms over his chest. Terra blinked and lowered her hand back into her lap.

"What exactly can one do on a raft as small as this?" Terra counter- questioned, and Edgar smirked a little, as to disguise the fact that Terra totally stumped him.

"Definitely not like the other girls I know..." He murmured under his breath.

"Did you say something, brother?" Sabin asked from the side of the raft, his hand acting as a visor over his eyes to block out the late-noon sun.

"Erm, no..." Edgar began, when suddenly, a loud splash in the currents ahead of the party silenced him. Everyone looked up ahead, Terra nearly screaming when she saw what was approaching them from a short distance. It was something purple, slimy, and....it had 8 tentacles.

"What in blazes is THAT?" Banon cried, instinctively pulling out his ruby-crowned battle rod.

"What....WHAT IS IT?" Terra squealed, and leaped to her feet, nearly toppling Edgar over behind her as she readied herself in a defensive stance that seemed to come to her naturally. It must have been a result of training in the Empire...

Suddenly, the purple thing rammed into the front of the raft, the force shoving the entire raft back against the flow of the current and slamming it into some slippery rocks, pinning them there with his huge body. At a closer view, the party could clearly see that this 'thing' was an over-grown, purple octopus...with blazing yellow eyes and the ugliest set of crooked, rotting teeth one ever did see in this day and age of fine dentistry and oral hygiene.

"Uweee-Hee-Hee...Game over! Don't tease the octopus, kids!" It squealed in a very annoying, high-pitched voice similar to an insane- clown's that Edgar and Terra only knew too well now.

"Game over?" Sabin asked, scratching his head.

"Kids!?" Edgar cried, deeply offended. "I'll show you the power of the KING of Figaro!"

"What a delicious morsel!" The octopus exclaimed. "Let me get my bib! My name is Ultros, by the way! And you had better not forget it....not that it will do you any good in my stomach!" Ultros let out another peel of laughter, his wretched breath hitting Terra and the others full-force.

"We must work together to get this thing out of our way!" Banon cried. "If we do not hurry to Narshe, we'll live to regret it soon!"

"Who said anything about you living?!" Ultros exclaimed, and suddenly snapped on of his tentacles at the raft like a whip. It stuck Banon and knocked him down, continuing to coil around his leg as Ultros reeled him in towards his gaping mouth like a fish on a fishing line.

"Banon!" Terra cried, and held out her hands hurriedly. "FIRE!"

With that, the flames only familiar to Terra emerged from her fingertips, encircling the tentacle that held Banon captive. It made a soft sizzling noise as it fried the octopus, making it shriek in horror and pull back further into the water, releasing Banon instantly. Sabin managed to take Banon by the shoulders to pull him towards the back of the raft to safety, the old man being shaken by both Ultros' sudden attack and Terra's amazing abilities.

"Stand back!" Edgar exclaimed, and pulled out a most interesting tool from the flaps of his cape, an auto-crossbow. Holding it up so that the crosshairs of the bow lined up with his eye, he aimed at Ultros, bringing a finger to the trigger.

"What's that?" Terra asked worriedly, stepping back further on the raft to get out of his way.

"Don't be afraid, it's simply one of the many tools I've invented!" Edgar exclaimed. "This will take him out for good!"

"Ha! I'll make you into Seafood Soup!" Ultros growled, still nursing his burnt tentacle in the cool waters of the river. However, that didn't stop him for puckering his lips, about to spit an ink ball out at the entire team to blind them.

"Take this, slime ball." Edgar smirked, and pulled the trigger on his tool, causing a fury of metal arrows to shoot out and strike Ultros every-which-way. Ultros let out a loud cry and sank back into the river before their very eyes with a huge splash that sprayed the entire raft. Terra coughed out the water that had flown into her mouth and narrowed her eyes, looking around.

"......Is everyone ok?" She asked worriedly.

"I guess we thrashed it." Sabin said, helping Banon to his feet now.

"Don't bet on it." Edgar smirked. "It's probably just hiding from us!" Suddenly, Terra felt something cold and slimy on her leg, pulling her down.

"EW!" She cried. "Something is stuck to my leg!" She frantically tried to pull back, without much luck.

"Terra, over here!" Edgar said, and took her under her arms, pulling her back forcefully, and breaking her free of whatever was coiled around her leg. She let out a deep breath and sighed, bringing a hand to her chest, as if she could manually try to calm her beating heart by herself.

"It's alright now." Banon assured her.

"No way!" Sabin said, and rubbed his hands together. "I'm gonna hit it with a blitz! Watch out!"

"No, Sabin!" Edgar cried. "That's not necessary...!"

"Don't distract me, brother!" Sabin said, and gave a sly-half smile to everyone as he leaped off the raft and dove into the river gracefully. Terra gasped, her face white with fear.

"....Hmmm, he's always been a tad zealous...." Edgar mused.

"SABIN......!" Terra cried, bringing her hands to her face. What had just happened here?

"Don't worry about him!" Banon exclaimed, making both of the troubled youths turn to him.

"Are you sure he's ok, Banon?" Edgar asked suspiciously. Banon grinned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You should know better than any of us! Any moment he'll flop right onto the raft!" Banon exclaimed. As if on cue, Sabin suddenly came shooting out of the water at a brilliant speed...past the raft...past where Ultros had been positioned...and right back into the river.

"What the...?!" Sabin squealed as he descended down, down...

"Splash!"

"......" Banon shook his head and tried not to laugh.

"Seems a little too perky...Ha!" Edgar giggled, and Terra looked between Banon and Sabin, horrified. Was Sabin really ok, or had they gone crazy?

"SABIN!" Terra cried, pushing past them to the edge of the raft, as Sabin waved from the river that was rapidly pulling him in a totally different direction than Narshe. Edgar stepped beside Terra and cupped his face in his hands.

"Sabin! Take care of yourself!" Edgar exclaimed. Soon, Sabin had completely disappeared from sight. The remaining party members turned to each other.

"We should continue on." Banon said. "First, we have to find a way to push off of these rocks. Then, when we are back in motion, we must use my rod to push us in the proper direction of Narshe. If we go Sabin's way, we will be seriously lost!"

"Alright, Banon." Edgar agreed, and looked to Terra. She sighed a little, and then realized who she was fretting about. It was Sabin, for goodness sakes! From what she had already seen, she knew he would be just fine! Besides, there was no time to worry or fret...Narshe was not far away now!

**********

The chilling winds of Narshe had already begun to bite into Terra, Edgar, and Banon's bones, and they were only at the city entrance gates. They had long since abandoned their raft at the end of the Lete River and hiked up to the mountains that Narshe was nestled in. Evening was falling quickly, and a soft snow had also begun to drift in. They would have to hold off their Esper expedition for the next morning...

"We'll go right to Arvis' house." Banon said as they approached the guards at the gate.

"You know Arvis?" Terra asked. "That's the old man that told Locke about me, right?"

"Heh, old indeed!" Banon exclaimed gleefully.

"Hold your tongue...old timer." Edgar joked playfully, but the laughter stopped as they tried to get through the gates into the city, only to have spears pointed at their heads by the guards.

"...Hey!" Terra cried, her eyes widening as she took a step back.

"Hey yourself, lady." One guard snapped, lowering his spear only slightly.

"Didn't you just bust in here a few days ago wearing Magitek Armor?" The other asked.

"Wait a sec!" Banon cried, but the guard who had lowered his spear decked him in the face, knocking him down instantly.

"Get out of here!" The other guard cried. "If you don't..."

"Hold on." Edgar said calmly as Terra struggled to assist Banon. "I'm King Edgar of Figaro...."

"Liar!" The other guard cried, and took his turn, striking Edgar. Edgar stumbled backwards and fell on top of an already hurt Banon and a flustered Terra. With that, the two guards retreated further back into the city. Terra could hear them calling for reinforcements...

"Lets go." Terra said quickly, pulling them both up. However, she wasn't quite sure where they could hide. She then remembered the path that Locke had taken out of Narshe, and decided to try her luck with that. She took off running down the snowy path, Banon and Edgar desperately trying to keep up with her. Once they were safely around the corner of a high stone wall and the rocky Narshe mines, Terra stopped to catch her breath.

"Aye yai yai..." Banon huffed.

"That kind of attitude is deadly!" Edgar cried, slamming his fist against a wall. "They won't even listen!"

"It's all my fault..." Terra moaned, and folded her hands in her lap. "Anyway, are you two ok?"

"A little sore!" Banon said, rubbing his right cheek. Edgar nodded to agree, and Terra sighed, whispering a few soft words.

"Eh?" Edgar asked, but suddenly, he found himself and Banon surrounded by a green glittering light.

"Cure!" Terra exclaimed, and in just moments, the light disappeared, along with Banon and Edgar's new bruises.

"....Thank you, Terra!" Edgar exclaimed. "I feel good as new!"

"...Extraordinary power..." Banon said softly. "However, now is not the time for the discussion of thank you's and what-not. Somehow, we must get into Narshe!"

"Hmm..." Edgar began to think, while Terra looked about their surroundings. All she could see was cold rock and snow...They were even too far away to see the city lights of Narshe...

"By the way, this secret entrance might be useful some day. Don't forget about it!"

"Oh!" Terra suddenly cried, her face lighting up. Edgar and Banon both turned to her, startled.

"What is it?" Edgar asked. Terra turned away from him and began to run her hands over the mine wall in front of her.

"When Locke first helped me, he fiddled with something right around here." Terra explained. Edgar nodded when Banon looked at them in confusion.

"Knowing him, there's probably some secret switch in this rock wall..." Edgar trailed off. As if on cue, Terra's hands went over a particular part of the wall that felt colder and slicker than the rest. When she grabbed hold on it and pulled down, she found it to be Locke's secret switch! Instantly, a hidden door slid open, leaving a gaping hole in the mine wall to it's entrance.

"We can travel through here to Arvis' house, I bet!" Edgar exclaimed.

"Good job, Terra." Banon said. "Let us proceed."

The three entered the mines, with Terra leading most of the way, her fuzzy memories providing a faint map for the team. The trip was uneventful....it seemed like there was not a soul alive in the mines now. The only sounds beside their footsteps were the sounds of dripping water from the ceilings and Banon's haggard breathing. Terra turned with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Of course, please lead on." Banon said. "I promise to rest once we arrive at Arvis', alright?" Terra nodded and smiled, when suddenly, Banon grabbed her shoulder and stopped her from proceeding on.

"Ahhh, what?" Terra cried, and Edgar stopped as well.

"Look ahead." Banon said. Terra turned and saw that they were about to enter a new section of the mines. However, right ahead of them, blocking their way through the door to the next area, was a golden, shimmering light. It suddenly leaped in place and began to fly away through the columns in the next room.

"...Goodness." Edgar said.

"What's that?" Terra asked.

"I think it's a security checkpoint." Edgar explained. "Right, Banon?"

"Correct." Banon said.

"I'm sure the soldiers of Narshe know this light's pattern." Edgar said. "If we can follow it's path exactly, we should be ok. But if we make a wrong turn, the light will surround us...and well, who knows what will happen then? I have only seen this kind of technology in more sophisticated places..."

"Narshe has money." Banon said dryly. "Why do you think it is a target of the Empire? Even without the Esper, this place is perfect for a new Imperial Base."

"Yes...isolated and in the freezing cold..." Terra trailed off, a shiver running through her spine.

"I'll lead." Banon offered, and stepped ahead of her. "Now everyone, follow me closely! We won't be in the clear until we pass through this room!"

Carefully, Banon stepped ahead of Edgar and Terra, looking about him. The security system's weakness was that it actually left behind a slight trail to its followers of glittering dust. It would remain in the air for a few moments after the light flew by, and then dissolve. Banon, having trained and focused eyes, managed to spot this trail and gestured for Edgar and Terra to follow. After an excruciating, silent 10 minutes or so, Banon finally reached a new doorway all the way across the columned room and threw it open. The three emerged into the new scene, everyone letting out a sigh of relief in unison.

"....Oh, I definitely remember this place!" Terra exclaimed, running ahead a bit. "This is the room where I fell..." Her glance towards a large hole in the corner of the cave confirmed this, and she nodded to herself. "That means that Arvis' home is right down this path...lets hurry!"

A new energy filling them, Banon, Edgar, and Terra took off running down the rocky mine path to an opening that led them outside in the fresh, chilly air. After crossing over the same wooden plank path that Terra had used to escape from Narshe guards, Banon pushed ahead and barged through Arvis' back door, much to the poor old man's surprise, who was sitting down at a desk, writing a letter. He looked up sharply from his letter, only to gasp and leap up in surprise when he saw the face of his old friend Banon. However, it wasn't just him...

"Banon!" Arvis cried, running over to them. "King Edgar! And...Terra!" Terra bowed quickly and shut the door behind them, eliminating the chill they had let in the house.

"Arvis!" Banon exclaimed. "What's happening here in Narshe?"

"The town remains neutral." Arvis explained, and sighed a little. "I've tried to get the people to side with the Returners, but... Anyway, why on Earth have you come here?"

"No, first, how are your people doing?" Edgar asked.

"They all went...slightly berserk when the Esper was discovered." Arvis confessed. "It's worse now that the Empire has made its advances on us."

"We believe this young woman is our only hope of reaching out to that Esper." Banon explained, placing his hands on Terra's shoulders. Arvis nodded in agreement.

"My people are dying to know what this Esper looks like..." He said. "Perhaps Terra can help restore some order to our town...?" Terra also nodded. She would do just about anything...maybe then the people of Narshe would see that she was not the monster she was made out to be...it would certainly remove a lot of complications. Edgar took a step forward, his hand on his chin.

"That Esper is either going to save us..." He trailed off and looked straight to Arvis. "....Or dig us an early grave..."

Chapter Eight - Magitek Knight, General Celes

Pounding footsteps could be heard in what was otherwise a rather silent South Figaro. They belonged to a desperate young man who was fleeing for his life, his breathing deep and troubled. Finally, when he reached a corner, he rounded it quickly, plastering himself up against a stone wall. The brown-uniformed Imperial Soldier appeared a few seconds later, but in haste, only took a quick glance around the corner to see if the man he had been pursuing was anywhere near. However, all he saw at the end of the road ahead was a large Magitek Armor unit, stationed with a pilot inside.

"Hmm...there is no way he could have gotten past him." The Imperial Soldier reasoned, and turned back around, retreating back to his post. Once the coast was clear, the young man stepped out of hiding and let out a huge breath of relief.

"This is no good." Locke Cole said softly, and brought a hand to his chest, instantly being able to feel the beating of his racing heart. "I gotta get to Narshe on the fly!" He had done everything in his power to slow down the Imperial Soldiers, to the point of trying to steal supplies from them. (Ok, so maybe that was out of habit, but that wasn't the point.) Locke realized that there was a lot more of them than he could handle, and he decided the best thing he could do was just to return to Narshe and meet up with his friends. Perhaps by then, Terra would have been able to 'speak' with the Esper, and they would all be saved.

However, getting out of South Figaro would be difficult. Not only was Locke a semi-wanted man now for causing a ruckus with the Empire's soldiers, but all entrances and exits in the town were being blocked my Magitek Armored guards so that none of the townspeople could escape or leak information to anyone else of South Figaro's occupation. If any of the other nearby towns found out about this, they would prepare themselves and try to fight the Empire. The only people who seemed to be accepted in the streets of Figaro by the soldiers without too much harassment were the merchants who fluttered from soldier to soldier, trying to take advantage of their presence and make a few good sales. Locke sighed and turned, climbing the stone staircase he was nearby, and crept into an item shop.

Inside, the only people were the store's owner and a merchant, who was admiring the beauty of a grandfather clock in a corner. Locke stepped up to the merchant, hoping he might know something that could help Locke escape. Merchants usually knew a lot of trade secrets about these cities, including secret passages that slaves would use to escape from their masters in the ancient days.

"Hey..." Locke began, trying to be as friendly as possible, despite his troubling situation. The merchant turned around, and snickered behind his blue and tan hood.

"You're that thief Locke Cole, aren't you?" He asked dumbly. Locke blinked and turned red, balling up his fists.

"Call me a treasure hunter, or I'll rip your lungs out!" Locke bellowed, and dove on top of the merchant. The person behind the counter of the store blinked and looked away, pretending to be occupied with something else.

"Ahhh!" The merchant shrieked, and suddenly, Locke got a brilliant idea. Instead of brutally beating this jerk, he could use him for something else! With a quick un-buckling and un-buttoning of a few articles of clothing, Locke jumped up and pulled the merchant's robes off with him. Locke quickly tugged them on over his own clothes, and pulled up the hood that would hide his face from the glaring noon sun...or from Imperial Soldiers, in this case. The freshly-stripped merchant, horrified, looked down at himself only in boxers and shrieked.

"These are a little tight, but the price was right!" Locke exclaimed, and did a little victory dance. the merchant jumped up and took off running out of the store, shouting "Sorry!!!!" on his way out. Locke looked after him only briefly and turned to the woman behind the counter. She didn't refrain from laughing and put her hands on her hips.

"Surely, you must have a reason for your actions." She said. Locke nodded and leaned over the counter.

"I need help getting out of here." He confessed. "I have to meet a few friends up in Narshe soon."

"Hmm...you should see what Master Duncan's wife has to say about that." The woman said. "She's been living here longer than I. She might know something. Her home is just south of this shop."

So with that, Locke left and traveled back down the stone staircase to a small house he had passed before. The door however, was wide open, and he could see an elderly woman standing on her staircase and sweeping dust away with her straw broom. She looked up at Locke and offered a warm smile.

"Hello young man, can I help you?" She asked.

"Are you Master Duncan's wife?" Locke asked in a somewhat sensitive tone. If she was, she would surely be upset considering the fact that Duncan was recently slain.

"Yes sir, I am." She said and stopped sweeping, looking up at him.

"Oh, great!" Locke exclaimed quickly. "Do you know anything about secret passages that can lead out of town?" She looked up for a moment in thought, and then nodded.

"I'm sure there is a hidden passage under the richest man in town's house." She said. "Find the room in their home that is drafty."

"Thanks a lot!" Locke said, and gave her a charming smile. She chuckled and waved him off, returning to her chores.

She actually didn't seem too upset. Locke thought to himself silently. I wonder what has got her so cheerful? He shook his head and begin to think as he wandered the streets of South Figaro. So, there is a passage that may lead out of town under the rich man's house.

Locke looked up from the streets and blinked. He could easily tell which house that was...right up north of town, there was a huge mansion that was surrounded by uniformed Imperial Soldiers. Locke was sure that they were using that home as their base, which did not make things for him any easier. Suddenly, a little kid with blonde ringlets ran out in front of Locke, causing Locke to run right into him. The kid yelped and crashed to the ground, rubbing his bottom.

"Ahhh...sorry." Locke said quickly, as the kid pulled himself up.

"You'll pay for this!" The kid grunted, and dusted off his green overalls. "My grandfather was once a servant for the richest man in town, and..."

"Wha...Really?" Locke exclaimed, and grabbed the kid by his shoulders. "Let me see your grandfather, immediately!" The kid blinked and shrugged.

"Ok, whatever." The kid said, and jerked a thumb back towards a small home behind them. He led Locke inside, and up to a small room where an old man was crouched over a small table. The boy gestured for Locke to go further in, and walked away. Locke gulped and cleared his throat. But before he could say a word, the old man beat him to it.

"Bring me some cider, and I might talk to you."

Locke blinked and opened his mouth to reply, but however...

"Go on. Bring me some cider."

"......Riiiiiight." Locke trailed off, and swiftly turned to leave the room. He was surprised to see the blonde boy right behind him.

"You're a merchant, right?" He asked. Locke almost said no, but he then realized he was still in his merchant garb and nodded.

"Well, then it will be easy for you to pick up some cider at the cafe." The boy said, and stepped back, his hand pointing to a backdoor of the house. "Since you're a merchant, you may proceed." Locke thanked him and walked out the door, finding himself in a part of town that had been blocked off the soldiers in Magitek Armor. He immediately went over to the cafe, deciding that the sooner he got this cider, the better. As soon as Locke stepped in, he was hit with the scent of smoke and alcohol. Apparently, this was a hotspot for Imperial Soldiers. As Locke walked about, looking for someone who could possibly assist him, he could hear a lot of the drunken soldier's loud conversation.

"That clown, Kefka, is on the verge of invading Narshe."

"Yeah, I know, it's our detached force that is making it's way up there. We'll be linking up with them soon."

God... Locke thought, resisting all his urges to pull out his knife and do a number on them. Narshe was definitely in danger....

"You know what?"

"Huh?"

"I heard they locked up one of our generals! She turned traitor! She's somewhere in town, I think."

"It was a she? That probably means it's..." Their conversation died out as Locke made his way down a flight of stairs and into the merchant's quarters of the cafe. Inside was a single man, stuffing a ton of merchandise into his sack. Locke spotted a bottle of cider on the table, and reached out to take it.

"HEY YOU!" The merchant squealed, glaring in Locke's direction. "You come to steal MY cider? You THIEF!" Locke's face turned an angry shade of red as he reached for his knife and....

"Swoosh!"

In blinding speed, Locke raced past the merchant and did a quick swipe of his knife. When he regained his normal composure and slid the knife back in it's sheath, the merchant's clothes promptly fell into a shredded pile on the floor, leaving the merchant in his birthday suit. Locke chuckled to himself as the merchant squealed again, and took off running, shouting "Sorry!!!!"

Locke grinned and took the cider, running as fast as he could manage back to the old man's house. When he arrived, he delivered the bottle of cider to the old man, which immediately seemed to get him talking as he reached out for his cup on his desk to pour himself a cup.

"My grandson told me what you wanted." The old man said. Glug Glug. "This secret passage? Well, there is one here that lead's to the rich man's house, and there is one there that leads out of town. Just give my grandson the password." Glug glug glug! "The password is...." He paused for a moment and hiccupped. "I forget!"

"Great..." Locke muttered, and left, feeling slightly disappointed. Once again, he was immediately confronted by the strange little boy.

"If you're a merchant, you should know the password!" The boy squeaked. Locke looked as blank as Edgar's weekend date list.

"Give me a hint?" Locke asked hopefully. "I uh...haven't been back here in a while, you know." The kid looked skeptical, but shrugged.

"Well, you did manage to get cider with no problem." He said. "Ok, here's your hint. It's one of these three words: Courage, Rosebud, or Failure. All three of them are passwords for South Figaro, but which one is correct...?" Locke sighed and thought for a moment. It was a wild guess, but...

"Courage?" Locke suggested in a tiny voice, hoping that he could judge by the boy's face whether he was right or not. He could quickly deny his answer if he was wrong.

"CORRECT!" The boy exclaimed. "It was really obvious, wasn't it?"

"Yeah...?" Locke said dryly, feeling a sense of relief run through him. The boy kept smiling as he scuttled away to what seemed to be a small switch on a wall. When he pulled down on it, a door seemed to magically appear behind Locke. Locke entered, and began a short journey through a dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, Locke spotted a ladder and climbed up it quickly, pushing open a trap door that was above his head. When he emerged, Locke found himself around the corner of a very large home. He soon realized that this was the mansion that held the underground route for him to escape! Walking around the corner, Locke came to a door and immediately slipped inside the mansion before anyone could spot him. But to his horror, he found a group of soldiers waiting for him inside! Locke gulped and was about to take off running when one soldier looked over at him briefly and merely shook his head.

"We're not buying anything." He snapped. Locke blinked and realized he was still dressed as a merchant. Playing it cool, he gave a slight smile.

"Oh, I'm here by appointment to see the master and mistress of the house." Locke said. One of the soldiers pointed up the staircase that was nearby, and then they all proceeded to ignore Locke, going back to their conversation. As Locke approached the staircase, he accidentally bumped into a woman dressed in a crimson maid's uniform with long blonde hair in a ponytail.

"Don't mind them." she said softly. "The imperial troops have turned this house into their headquarters...I think it has something to do with Mr. Muyo." Locke realized this must be the owner of the home. He nodded a little and continued up the stairs, entering a hallway with three doors. He could hear children laughing and playing in the last two, so he entered the first to see if he could find this Mr. Muyo. The door already being ajar, Locke kicked it open with his foot a little and found a man and a woman in a nicely kept bedroom, the man weeping and crying on the bed by the woman's side.

"Oh, what have I done!?" He cried, as the woman handed him her handkerchief. "I betrayed the town, and I didn't even need the money!" Locke didn't say a word as the woman looked up at him and seemed to make a face that said "I just don't care anymore."

"Are you the repairman?" She asked. "Well, you must be...but why are you dressed as a merchant?" Locke smiled and crossed his arms over his chest, getting used to being everyone else now except himself.

"Well, the town in a little rough right now." Locke explained. "I have a little more flexibility this way."

"I see!" The woman said, and jumped up, clapping her hands together. "You see, there is always this nasty draft in our bedroom. Do you think you could find a way to prevent it?" Locke tried not to grin too hard when he remembered that this was what Duncan's wife had instructed him to search for.

"Sure, no problem." Locke said, right as the man began to wail louder. This must have been Mr. Muyo. Locke slid past them and did indeed feel a very cool draft. However, there almost seemed to be a moistness to the air as well. Pressing his palms against the wall, Locke felt about and tried to see if this draft was from a crack or perhaps a secret door. However, he didn't get any impression of there being a secret entrance until he reached the bookcase in the room. The draft was strong here, and when Locke inhaled, he good smell the very, very subtle hint of a perfume of some sort. He also noticed that the bookcase wasn't even pressed directly up against the wall. The space was big enough for a man to slip through. Cautiously, Locke slipped in between the wall and the bookcase and let out a short gasp as he stumbled backwards and onto his rear into a much darker and colder area.

"What the heck?" Locke said to himself as he stood up and looked around. He was in a short stone hallway that turned a corner and was dimly lit by a few candles on the walls. In the distance, he thought he heard the echoes of voices, but he wasn't sure. He was either in one of those secret paths or a basement! The extra layers of robes were too hot and heavy for Locke in the humid basement, so he immediately shed them and left them in a heap as he walked forward cautiously. The perfume scent was stronger now. It definitely wasn't a cologne, like a man would wear. It was light and almost...rosy. Locke turned the corner and came to a doorway that was made of heavy wood, but had a small window in it that was covered with jail bars. Now that he could hear better, Locke realized that there were definitely voices, and they were coming from this room. He nearly hit the ceiling when he heard the echo of a hand flying across something that let out a moan of pain. Locke stood on his tiptoes and peered through the bars on the door.

Inside the room was three people, and a chair. However, two of those people were Imperial Soldiers, and the third was a young woman in what looked like a green combat leotard and a white cape that was stained with blood chained to a wall. Her head was hanging, so all you could see was her long blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders and face, along with a blue bandana that was tangled in it. Her long, pale legs were also covered in bruised, blood, and scratches, and looked as if they would collapse from under her at any minute. When she looked up, Locke thought he had almost been spotted. Her ice blue eyes seemed to peer directly into his, sending a chill down his spine. However, he realized that she was not looking at him, but at the soldier in front of her. Her complexion was pale but twisted into a glare full of hatred and bitterness. Locke let out a slight, startled breath as she parted her soft pink lips to speak, and he just couldn't figure out what his problem was. It was then that he realized who she was.

"I've seen her before!" Locke mumbled to himself. "Of course, she's one of the Empire's generals...." When the woman began to speak, the soldier in front of her hauled back and slapped her across the cheek, sharply making her head snap to the side. Locke cringed, but silence remained on her lips.

"That's what happens to traitors!" The soldier exclaimed, and Locke raised his eyebrows. The other guard cackled.

"And the mighty Celes has fallen!" He grinned, and put his hands on his hips. Locke didn't say a word as they carried on.

"How can you serve those cowards...?" Celes asked, her voice small and weak. For some reason, Locke just knew it wasn't like that normally. He was almost positive that she was not just an elite General of the Empire because of her pretty face. She was up there in the ranks of Kefka, and she was quite famous for various mass invasions and massacres that she had led as a young girl. In fact, she was still young, as far as Locke knew, not even an adult yet.

"Hold your tongue!" The first guard bellowed.

"Isn't it TRUE that Kefka is planning on poisoning the people of Doma to the East?" Celes pressed on, but was interrupted by the other angry guard.

"SHADDUP!" He yelled, and pulled out his sword. Locke gasped and did all he could not to dive into that suicide zone as the guard took the hilt of the sword and smacked it against the back of Celes' head. Her eyes widened for a second before quickly closing, along with her head dropping down and her legs collapsing completely from underneath her. Her chains made a loud jangle as her body pulled down on them violently. The chains were the only things holding her body back from completely slamming into the stone floor.

"I'd HATE to be in your shoes tomorrow!" The guard that made the final strike smirked, and looked to his partner. "Keep a close eye on her!"

"Yes sir!" The other one exclaimed as he saluted. "I can go for days without sleep sir!" the other soldier nodded and turned to leave. Locke gulped and suddenly leaped up into the rafters before he was caught. The soldier left the cell and slammed the door behind him. When Locke was sure he was gone, he climbed back down and peeked through the bars again. Loud snores hit him as soon as he did, for the other guard had promptly fallen asleep in the chair in the cell. Locke sighed and put his hand on the ice-cold steal handle of the door, tugging it open. What was he doing? What was this...that he was feeling? the feeling was foreign and yet so familiar...painfully familiar... Locke walked into the cell and pulled a pin out of his pocket. He took each one of Celes' shackles around her wrists and picked them open. On the second one, Celes fell forward, but he managed to catch her in his arms just in time. He was suddenly shocked though when Celes lifted her face and gave him an icy stare fogged with confusion.

"Ahhh..." Locke gulped. Celes blinked and the sudden confusion was gone and replaced with 100% pure ice.

"And who might you be?" Celes questioned coolly. She made an indication with the look on her face that she did not want to be touched, and Locke promptly let her go, letting her back away slightly and rest on her knees.

"I'm with the Returners." Locke replied in a serious tone. "My name is Locke Cole. I...I didn't expect you to be awake."

"I faked it." Celes said calmly. "They were beginning to annoy me..." Locke widened his eyes, but Celes continued on. "I used to be General Celes Chere..." She trailed off and looked away, the first time she had averted her eyes from his since their meeting. "...But now I'm just a common traitor..." Locke smiled a little and held out his hand to her.

"Lets go!" He exclaimed, and Celes looked up at him sharply.

"!?.....You'd take me along?" Celes asked, hesitantly and then suspiciously. "Thanks but no thanks... I can barely walk as it is..." Celes stood up shakily and took a step, and then another. She looked troubled when she realized that she was not fooling him, and quickly returned to her knees on the floor to return to his level of sight.

"I'm grateful, but..." Celes sighed. "Even if you got me out, you would never be able to protect me. No, I think I'm better off here..." Locke stopped her by pressing a finger to her lips, much to her surprise. The young general was not used to being silenced by anyone.

"I'll protect you!" Locke exclaimed. "Trust me....Celes, you'll be fine!" Locke winked and Celes blinked in return. "Now, lets go!" Celes reached up, taking Locke's finger from her lips and dropping his hand quickly.

"Wait." She said. "This soldier has something important on him..." Celes nodded her head in the sleeping soldier's direction, and Locke stood up, instantly spotting what they needed. Clipped to the soldier's belt was a shiny silver key, one that looked ancient in design. Locke reached out and swiped it quickly, but suddenly, the soldier leaped up at Locke! Locke gasped and Celes clasped her hands over her mouth.

"....'n some bread too..." He moaned in his sleep, and suddenly flopped back in his chair. Locke nearly burst out into laughter and looked back to Celes, who didn't crack a smile at all. Instead, she stood up and brushed off her clothes, ignoring the blood that remained on her uniform. Looking to Locke, she nodded and allowed him to lead the way. Locke turned and left the cell, going in the direction Celes pointed by his side.

"This passage leads out." Celes said quietly, and so, they began their way down the rest of the deadly silent hall. Locke looked back to Celes when they reached a new doorway, and they stopped for a moment.

"Is something wrong...?" Celes asked. Was he going to leave her behind after all?

"No..." Locke smiled weakly, a wave of painful memories suddenly rushing through him. There was something about Celes... something that reminded him of...

"We'll need this key inside here." Celes said, dropping the subject quickly. "Shall we go?"

"Yes, lets!" Locke exclaimed, and finally, Celes broke into a tiny smile.

Chapter Nine - Imperial Weapon Tunnel Armor

"Locke..."

Locke jumped a bit at his name suddenly being called, as there had been an intense silence for the past few moments as he tried to get the rusty key he stole from the soldier to properly fit into the door lock he and Celes wanted to pass through. Locke stopped trying for a moment and looked up at Celes, his new companion, who was staring intently at him with those chilly blue eyes, making a shiver run down his spine. Locke was about to open his mouth to reply, when Celes just cut straight to the point.

"Why are you helping me?" She demanded, her tone full of curiosity that was easily hidden by the ice that lined it. Locke felt his cheeks slightly redden. He hadn't been expecting her to ask him something like that. Therefore, he did not have too much time to make up a semi-logical reply. He certainly couldn't understand at the moment the reason why he had helped her himself. He said the first thing on his mind.

"You remind me of someone..." He trailed off and bit his lower lip, wondering how she would react. He wasn't too surprised when the look on her face didn't change a bit, so he quickly added "But what does it matter anyway? I just want to, ok?!" At that point, he jammed the key into the keyhole again and gave a hard twist, causing a loud 'click' to echo off into the room. As if on cue, the door suddenly swung open, and Locke and Celes were faced with an even darker and damper hallway then the one they had previously been in. Celes stepped ahead of Locke, going by her natural military instinct, but he tugged on her hand and pulled her back.

"Let me lead." Locke said.

"Very well." Celes replied, obviously not in the mood to argue. "But I remember this place. They dragged me through here when they caught me and..." Suddenly, a shiver ran through Celes' body, and she hugged herself tightly. Locke reached out, alarmed that she may collapse, but Celes turned away quickly, knowing that she didn't need any help. Even this...supposedly fearless rouge and Returner couldn't save her from her memories...

"I was just going to say my sword is in here somewhere." Celes said softly. "I dropped it when..."

"Ok, you can tell me where to go." Locke offered. Celes nodded and fell into step with Locke as he began to walk, still keeping her arms around herself.

The cellar passageways were miserable and dripping from all corners...it was obvious that it was not used often. However, despite the lack of light, it was still easy to maneuver around, as there was only one path and all Locke and Celes had to do was keep their hands against the walls. Locke looked over at Celes once or twice to make sure she was still beside him, as she stepped and breathed so quietly. Her pale hand seemed to almost glow against the gray walls with a soft blue light... But Locke couldn't tell if he was just seeing things or what. Suddenly, they heard another set of footsteps, pounding from ahead of them at an alarming rate.

"There she is! I see her, General Celes!"

"Get her! She is a prisoner of the Empire!"

"Celes!" Locke cried, and held out his arm to block her from going any further when the pair of Imperial Guards that they had heard made their debut. However, Celes had other ideas. She quickly lifted her hand that was against the wall, which was now glowing a brighter blue. Locke knew this wasn't his imagination. Celes closed her eyes and softly whispered:

"Ice."

At once, her hand flashed once brightly before returning to it's normal skin tone, and a shining laser of blue shot out of the ground and shot through each guard, zigzagging for a few rounds before shooting out through their heads and disappearing into the ceiling. Celes said nothing as she heard the two guards suddenly slump to the floor, each of their face's the same blue color as the laser. They had been instantly frozen to death, from the inside out...

Locke blinked and looked over at Celes. She calmly opened her eyes and returned Locke's gaze, lowering her hand to her side.

"I knew they would be coming." She said, as if to explain the glow of her hand before. "I was ready. Are you alright?"

".....Yeah..." Locke trailed off and shook his head. This was the second time he had seen magic in a time frame of less then a week.... And all this time, magic was supposed to be a mere fairy tale... So why could Celes use it too?

"Hmm, you don't look too damaged." Celes commented, and carefully stepped over the two soldiers. "Shall we continue?"

They continued their silent journey as if nothing had ever happened, until Locke and Celes turned a corner and spotted something shimmering on the floor. It was a sword...

"Is this yours?" Locke asked and stooped down to pick it up. The sword had intricate runes carved into the handle and into the blade, which appeared to be made of glass...

"Hmm-hmm." Celes replied, and took it from him, instantly sliding it into her sheath. "This means we are almost out..."

And she was right. Only a few moments later, they had reached a stairway, which led up to a trap door of some sort. Locke went on ahead and pushed open the door, letting sunlight from the world above pour down into the cellar and over Celes. She narrowed her eyes slightly and rested her hand on her forehead as she gazed up at Locke.

"Ready?" Locke smiled, trying to keep in mind that soon he would be back in Narshe with his friends, and they would be able to have Terra talk to the esper and fix everything...

"Yes." Celes said, and Locke exited, instantly stretching and basking in the warm sunshine that surrounded his body. Celes climbed out soon after, and sat on the ground for a moment to rest.

"We really should get out of here before we think about resting..." Locke suggested gently. Even if Celes didn't give a damn about him, he didn't want them both to get caught now. Celes didn't reply, she merely stood up and brushed off her cape.

Locke looked around and realized they were right at the back entrance of South Figaro. No soldiers around, and no citizens. It was too good to be true.

"Alright, lets go!" Locke exclaimed, and took off running, his heart feeling ten times lighter as he crossed the border that separated South Figaro from the lush green plains of the Figaro kingdom territory. Celes followed behind, and soon they were so far off, they couldn't even see the town when they looked back. They didn't stop running until they reached the ever-familiar Figaro cave. Locke finally had to rest and leaned back against the cave entrance, his chest rising and falling quickly with his short breath. Celes sighed some and kicked at the puffy white dandelions, watching the seeds from it catch in the breeze and fly past her in an instant, beginning their journey a bit prematurely due to Celes' foot. Locke frowned and stood up straighter, wondering if this was their good- bye.

"Where is it that you are heading?" Celes asked, turning to look at him.

"Narshe..." Locke began, shifting his full attentions on her. "I have to meet my friends up there...for um... a sort of Returner operation."

"That will not be easy." Celes interrupted. "Kefka is leading his army up there as well...he is looking to capture that esper they have..."

"I heard." Locke nodded, and stuck his hands in his pockets. "It isn't gonna be easy for Terra..."

"Terra?" Celes questioned, her eyes suddenly widening slightly. "Who is that?"

"One of the people I need to meet, a Returner." Locke explained. "Well, she used to be an officer of the Empire...but she had been brainwashed and..." Celes held up her hand to cut him off.

"Then I imagine Kefka is coming for her too." Celes said. "Will you be able to fight his army single-handedly?"

"I'll have my friends!" Locke exclaimed. "You'll help too, won't you?" Celes blinked.

"You want my help?" Celes asked. "You want me to fight the Empire with you?"

"I want you to become a Returner!" Locke cried. "We could really use your help, and..." But Locke didn't need to use the begging tactics he had used with Terra in her moments of hesitation. Instead, Celes nodded in his mid-sentence, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'll help...to pay you back." Celes said. "You have my complete devotion to the Returners in exchange for the protection you gave me back in South Figaro..."

"Oh, thank you Celes!" Locke smiled happily. "But don't think that I'm not going to keep fulfilling my side of the bargain. I told you I would protect you. I didn't say that I would stop after we escaped." Celes' cheeks flushed slightly, and Locke smiled even more.

"Lets save our thanks for after we get to Narshe, hmm?" Celes said, and brushed past Locke into the Figaro Cave. Locke followed her without reply, knowing that she would manage to have the last word anyway. They carried more idle conversation mostly revolving around Narshe's crisis until they reached the other end of the cave. Locke remembered before how he thought the walls here were odd, and how Edgar had laughed at him. He was reminded of this when he saw Celes look around suspiciously. Before he could ask her anything, a loud rumbling broke out through the cave, shaking the floor and the walls surrounding them violently.

"Huh?!" Locke cried, and covered his ears in alarm.

"Something is coming out of the wall!" Celes pushed Locke backwards quickly. She did so just in time, because the walls in front of them suddenly crumbled into dusty nothingness, revealing two large, metal robot- like devices with multiple wheels and bolts where each wall used to be. The parts hummed and roared at once as they both emitted large sparks of electricity and bonded to each other, creating a frightful, armored machine in under a minute that was now blocking the exit to the cave. With a deafening roar, it began to slowly roll towards Locke and Celes. Within a few feet, they would be backed up against the wall behind them and left at the machine's mercy.

"What is that?!" Locke cried.

"Tunnel Armor!" Celes answered, and suddenly drew her shining sword from it's sheath, holding it in front of her defiantly as if to threaten the mechanical nightmare. Locke widened his eyes, a million thoughts racing through his mind at once. Above all, his insides were screaming for him to stop her before she did something stupid and got hurt!

"Celes!" Locke cried, and grabbed her sides, pulling her back against him. "'What are you doing?! Are you crazy?" Celes looked back to him, not lowering her sword.

"Tunnel Armor's only fatal attacks are its magic!" Celes cried frantically. "I can draw its magic attack, and when the coast is clear, you can destroy it!"

"Come again?" Locke yelled over the continually rising noise.

"I can absorb its magic with my runic blade!" Celes cried, and suddenly jerked away from him, turning her back on the Tunnel Armor to face Locke.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Locke protested worriedly.

"Just you watch!" Celes said, and smiled, her eyes suddenly softening when they met Locke's. Locke smiled back, and Celes turned back around, raising her blade into the air as the Tunnel Armor sputtered and suddenly shot out a large charge of electricity at the two Returners.

"Runic!" Celes screamed, and the glass blade began to shimmer even more, drawing the electricity into it as if it were some sort of magnet. When the attack had been completely nullified, the Tunnel Armor sputtered again and prepared to build another charge. Celes stepped back, a little woozy from the large amount of magic she had attempted to absorb. It was more then she thought could be emitted...

"Locke...now!" Celes cried, and leaned back against the wall. Locke drew his dagger and ran forward, taking a long leap in mid-step and plunging the dagger in the Tunnel Armor's electronic sensory core on it's back. Locke staggered back when he landed and fell against Celes as the Tunnel Armor suddenly emitted a loud, piercing noise, almost like a wail of defeat...Locke closed his eyes right as the Tunnel Armor exploded, shattering into hundreds of pieces of scrap metal that burst into small spheres of magical energy a few moments later, disappearing into thin air. The only thing that remained was Locke's dagger, lying on the ground, unharmed.

Locke opened his eyes and let out a happy sigh of relief to see that everything was ok again. He was surprised to feel Celes' hands resting on his shoulders, but when he realized he had been leaning against her, he quickly backed away.

"You did it!" Celes said, and rubbed some small sweat beads from her forehead. "Good job..."

"Thanks to you." Locke smiled. "You ok?"

"Yes." Celes replied. "I wonder when the Empire installed one of those..."

"Who knows?" Locke asked, shuddering. "At any rate...we're in the clear! Only a short distance until Narshe now..."

"Then we really should hurry." Celes said, and sighed. "I'm suddenly thinking the Tunnel Armor was activated to distract us..."

Celes walked past Locke to the exit of the cave, trying to get a slight view of the beautiful emerald plains the Northern kingdom of Figaro was famous for having, right along with its golden desert. But what she was searching for wasn't outside the cave... it wasn't anywhere, as far as she knew...

Celes' reasons for joining the Returners would remain even a mystery to herself for quite a while, it seemed... She looked back at Locke as he leaned down to retrieve his dagger from the cave floor, and shook her head slowly.

Some reasons were more vague than others...

Chapter Ten - Lone Ninja Shadow

While Terra, Edgar, and Banon were resting safely in Narshe, and Locke and Celes were traveling there together...

"Ugh..."

Sabin moaned to himself and slowly opened his eyes, cringing when the bright sunlight hit him like a slap in the face. He felt wet, exhausted, and despite his little solo trip down the Lete River...

He was also strangely rejuvenated.

"Up we go!" Sabin exclaimed to himself, and climbed to his feet, stretching and looking about his surroundings. All he could see were rolling green hills, and a lone house a short distance away, with the beginnings of a forest behind it. Apparently, the Lete River had grown tired of him and spat him out in the middle of nowhere. Sabin ran his fingers through his hair to get it to spike up again, and proceeded to the house. Perhaps the owner knew where he had washed up, and also knew how he could get to Narshe as soon as possible. Despite the setbacks, Sabin knew that he still needed to be with his brother in Narshe's greatest time of need. He had promised, after all, and he knew that Edgar had faith in his return.

At the house, Sabin saw a small merchant on a chocobo, letting it drink from the well in the front yard. However, it was what was beside the merchant that caught Sabin's attentions. Standing there, seemingly cloaked in the night sky himself, his clothes were so black-- was a tall masked man with a huge black lab at his side. Sabin smiled when the man lifted his deep blue eyes to Sabin's sky blue ones, but the man didn't seem to smile back.

Now, Sabin was full of wisdom and sensibility, being that he was indeed a student of the great Duncan. However, it seemed that all of this had washed away in the Lete River, for instead of taking the man's glare as a warning, Sabin happily approached him and to be friendly, leaned down to pet the dog. The dog let out a menacing growl, and bared his fangs. The merchant blinked and suddenly scampered away, pulling his chocobo with him. Now it was just Sabin and the stranger.

Hmmm...this dog doesn't seem to care for strangers. Sabin thought, and turned to the man, not knowing that he shared the same feeling as his dog at the moment.

"You...on a journey?" Sabin questioned, and the man gave a slight nod. Sabin nodded back in comprehension and continued. "I got separated from my friends...say, could you tell me how to get to Narshe?" The man shifted his weight slightly and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Imperial Soldiers have built a base somewhere beyond this forest." He replied casually. Sabin gasped.

"Already?!"

"They seem to have their sights set on Doma Castle." Shadow said. Doma was a small kingdom on the eastern end of the same continent Narshe was on. But Sabin still did not have a good idea of how he was going to get to his destination. He did know however, that the Empire would just make it more difficult now.

"...So Doma is next, huh?" Sabin mused worriedly. "I need to get to Narshe as soon as possible!"

"Your only hope is through Doma." The stranger replied. So that was why he had shared the news of Doma's upcoming misfortune to Sabin. Sabin groaned and shook his head. He couldn't take on the Empire alone...especially since he was lost to begin with...

"I'll show you the way." The man suddenly offered. "Just know that I may take off at anytime...if I feel like it." He added the last sentence with a firm, almost threatening tone. However, all Sabin was worried about right now was having a guide, and he had found one!

"Thank you." Sabin said gratefully. "I'm Sabin Figaro, and you?" The man wrinkled his forehead in thought, trying to see if he recognized Sabin's name."Figaro? As in the royal family?"

"Something like that." Sabin said quickly. "I'm the Prince of Figaro but..."

"Don't worry, I won't treat you any differently." He grunted. "My name is Shadow. This..." He pointed to the dog, "Is Interceptor. We owe allegiance to no one."

"I understand." Sabin smiled some. "So Shadow...is this your home?"

"No." Shadow said, shaking his head. "But I could use some food for my dog...lets go in and see if they have anything..."

Sabin agreed, and the two walked up to the doorway, Sabin politely knocking. The door swung open a moment later, and Sabin and Shadow were faced with an elderly man with wild white hair stuffed under a green hat and a white beard. He was also wearing matching green robes. However...Sabin could sense that there was just something not right about this guy...it was the far away look in his eyes...

"Hey!" The old man exclaimed happily. "Are you the clock maker? I've been waiting for ages!!!" He squealed happily and did a little jig that even made Shadow almost snicker.

"Uh, no..." Sabin shook his head worriedly. "I'm not the clock maker..."

The old man acted as if he didn't hear poor Sabin. "There it is, on the wall!" He pointed to the clock behind him. "Ain't been tickin' for 1....5....shucks, maybe even 10 years!" Sabin widened his eyes and protested once again that he was not the clock maker. The old man finally seemed to

understand, and calmed down, much to Sabin's relief. But before he could ask for some food, the old man smiled crazily.

"Got it! Lawnmower repairman, eh? Couldn't provide WORSE service!!" He cackled evilly. "Grass is 25 feet high out back!"

"Shadow..." Sabin muttered under his breath. "What should we..."

"No more lip, repairman!" The old man cried, and suddenly grabbed Sabin and pulled him into the one roomed home by the arm. "Fix that stove, on the double!" Sabin looked hopelessly back at Shadow, who mouthed "Just pretend you're doing something..." Sabin took this advice, and walked over to the stove, reaching out to touch a knob. However, as soon as he did, a sharp burning sensation shot through his fingertips!

"YEOOW!" Sabin cried, and leaped away, blowing on his burnt fingers. The old man glared at Sabin and shook his finger.

"Phew, no child could be this mischievous!" He suddenly burst out. When Sabin gave him a queer look, the old man changed his mind yet again. "Child...? Ain't no child around here! Bolderdash! I'm ready for you to leave! Go on, git! I'm tossin' ya onto the Veldt!" As the old man began to approach Sabin, Sabin let out a frightened squeal and bolted out the door, slamming it behind him. Shadow just stared as suddenly the small panel on the door slid open that was normally used to see who was at your doorstep before answering it, and the old man's beady eyes filled it. Sabin shouted and jumped 10 feet in the air as the old man spoke once more from behind him.

"You're here to fix my bed!" The old man exclaimed happily. "It's squeakin' like all git-out!"

"Ahhh!" Sabin cried, and took off running, Interceptor following and barking behind him before Shadow gave the man a look of doom and turned himself, calmly following his comrade. Shadow finally caught up with Sabin at the edge of a small woods, the one he was talking about earlier. The Imperial Base was on the other side...

"Well, that was an interesting encounter." Shadow commented coolly. "That man...was odd."

"Odd doesn't even begin to describe...oh, never mind that Shadow, we need to get down to Doma!" Sabin cried.

"Right." Shadow agreed. "And thus, we must infiltrate the Imperial Base...as long as we stay out of trouble, we should be able to slip through unnoticed."

Sabin, Shadow, and Interceptor made their short trek through the woods, which involved no encounters from any continent monsters. Sabin was relieved for this, as he was still recovering from the ugly battle with Ultros. He was hoping that when he got back to Edgar and the others, that they would not ask about the whereabouts of him, for he did not know himself. The slippery fiend had managed to escape Sabin's blitz.

"Sabin!" Shadow hissed.

"Oh!" Sabin cried, snapping out of his reminiscence. "Where are...!?" Sabin cut himself off when he spotted the Imperial Base in the distance, in the middle of a very dry patch of land, almost like desert. Even from where they were standing, it looked bustling with evil... Shadow, however, looked intrigued. Sabin began to wonder what side of the war Shadow was on, if he was even on one. But this wasn't the time for questions...

At Shadow's seemingly expertise lead, Sabin and Interceptor slowly crept towards the base until they reached it's entrance, which was shabbily set up with a small wooden gate that swung back and forth gently in the wind. The gate matched the small fence that wound over the boundaries of the base. The inside of the base held crates, tents, and assorted large pieces of indistinguishable machinery. The path inside seemed to be clear of any soldiers, so Shadow gestured for Sabin to come, but when Interceptor tried to join the group, Shadow shook his head and made a slight hand motion in Interceptor's direction. Interceptor must have known exactly what his master wanted, for within seconds, he disappeared in a blur of speed away from the base. Sabin found this to be a noble act for the ninja who appeared not to really care about anyone or anything except himself. Suddenly, voices came into earshot, and a pair of soldiers emerged from a tent.

"Hide!" Sabin hissed, and he and Shadow dived behind a pile of crates. The soldiers seemed to be beginning a patrol route right across the area Shadow and Sabin needed to pass... One of the soldiers stopped for a moment and gestured for the other one to come over. It then looked around quickly to make sure no one was coming, and began to speak.

"Hey, have you heard?" The soldier had a shaky female voice.

"Oh, you mean..." The other began to reply, who was a male, but the girl cut him off.

"Shhhhsh!" She squealed as she looked around. "If Kefka catches us, we're toast!"

"Kefka!" Sabin gasped. Didn't Edgar say Kefka had tried to kill them back in Figaro? That man was here?

"If Kefka drives General Leo out of our battalion, he'll probably become the next general!" She continued, and Shadow shook his head slowly.

"Kefka is already rumored to be a general, according to the cities I've been to." Shadow said bitterly.

"Don't make me laugh!" The boy soldier scoffed. "If someone like him becomes a general, I'll go home!"

"SHHHSSH!" The girl hissed, thwapping him. "What if he hears you? You'll be jailed!"

"Alright, ALRIGHT!" The boy moaned, rubbing his head. He blinked and suddenly pointed to their left. "Uh-oh, here he comes! Back to the waiting zone!"

The two soldiers quickly tried to regain themselves and act as if they had been both carefully pacing back and forth between two large tents. Kefka appeared a moment later, looking as flashy as ever, with even more colored feathers in his hair than when he met up with the other Figaro brother. However, Sabin had never seen this man before, and was immediately appalled at how clownish he appeared. This circus act was Narshe's enemy?

"Hey you!" Kefka shrieked to the girl. "You keeping a sharp lookout?"

"Yes sir!" The girl replied, saluting him with fake enthusiasm. "You're Kefka, correct? How are you Sir?"

"Puh-lease!" Kefka said dramatically, shaking his feathered head. "Save your petty small talk! Just do your job!" With that, Kefka sauntered away, and the soldiers almost immediately turned back to each other.

"Phweew!" The boy cried. "Someone needs to put that guy away! I'd like to tell him to his face that he's no General Leo!"

"Geeze, shut up!" The girl whined, and shook her head. "Do I always have to tell you to keep it down? You're hopeless!" But then, she sighed and took off her helmet for a moment, shaking her red-pony tailed hair to get it some oxygen. "But I do...hate that bastard, Kefka... I don't even think he's human, not like General Leo..." Instead of telling her to be quiet though, her comrade simply nodded.

"Agreed..."

Right then, the two were interrupted by yet another unwelcome visitor...their commander, a large soldier dressed in deep shades of blue with what appeared to be a tall battle-axe in his hand.

"You two!" The commander barked. "We are about to storm Doma Castle, and you two have been appointed to the assault team."

"Yes sir!" Both soldiers cried in unison. After the girl pulled her helmet back on, they both ran off together, much to Shadow and Sabin's relief. The commander also shortly left, leaving them alone to explore by their own free will. However, Sabin was deeply troubled.

"This is it..." He shook his head. "If Doma should be defeated, the whole territory will be swarming over with Imperial Soldiers, and they'll beat us to Narshe... And then it will be too late..." Shadow looked over to Sabin as he sighed and closed his eyes.

"Edgar...what are we to do now if Doma is under attack?"

Chapter Eleven - Cyan, Retainer of Doma

"ATTACK!" The shouts of the small Imperial army filled the air after their commander's demand, and the brown and green uniformed soldiers all ran up to Doma Castle, drawing their weapons to fight their way inside. Some soldiers took another route and attempted to climb the castle's rocky walls to get inside, but they kept falling down. Not learning their lessons the first time, those same soldiers tried to climb the walls again, only to get the same results over and over. The commander merely stood back and watched impatiently. When would those fools of Doma castle just come out and surrender? They would save themselves some humiliation and trouble! At this thought the commander let out a bitter peel of laughter and grinned.

Meanwhile, inside the castle, things were just as hectic as the Empire's attempts outside. Two of Doma's sentries, both clothed in Doma's green and blue uniforms, were frantically trying to think of a way to tell their Lord, King Doma, that they were doomed. Most of their men had been slaughtered by the Empire ages ago. Now they had merely come to finish off what remained, which wasn't much at all.

"It's hopeless..." One sentry said, shaking his head. "We cannot keep them out."

"So...it is finally happening..." The other trailed off.

"A moment, sirs!" A new voice suddenly broke out into the hall in which they were standing, and the two sentries turned around to see a tall figure emerging from the throne room doors behind them. He was dressed in Doma's navy blue knight garb, his chest plates and shoulder guards glistening in the sunlight that poured through Doma Castle's windows. His face held a bright smile, as if Doma had already claimed victory and they were about to sit down to a wonderful feast in their honor. His black hair was swept back in a most elegant ponytail, and his black mustache was neatly trimmed and complimented his more aged but still handsome face. He was Cyan Garamonde, Lord Doma's most faithful and powerful knight.

"Allow me the honor of dispatching the evil that troubles our beautiful land!" Cyan exclaimed, and drew his slender rapier blade. "If we can defeat their commander, they'll surely give up!"

"Sir Cyan!" Both of the sentries exclaimed, and cheered. With Sir Cyan back home in Doma, they would surely win!

"Let us give it a try." Cyan said, and stepped past them. He reached the small castle's front doors and threw them open. Any soldiers that happened to be climbing at the doors at the time took a small flight into the grass, face first. Cyan boldly stepped out and ran straight for his target, raising his sword. The commander gasped and feebly held out his axe in front of him, too shocked and surprised to know what else to do.

"Sir Cyan, let their commander have it!" The two sentries cried from the doorway.

"I am Cyan, retainer to the King of Doma!" Cyan cried, and leaped up, raising his sword high above his head. The commander quivered in his stance and opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Cyan smirked and brought down his blade...

"AHHH!"

"Clang!"

The commander's axe clattered to the ground, and he fell as well, blood pouring from the fatal wound across his chest Cyan's blade had created. His face was forever twisted in the agony of pain Cyan's blade had wrecked upon him. Such was the fate of all of Sir Cyan's enemies...

"....I am your worst nightmare." Cyan said coolly, and sheathed his blade, which was still dripping with blood.

"The Commander has been defeated! RUN!" The rest of the soldiers cried, and scrambled off the scene before cyan could get any one of them. Cyan turned and waved to the sentries, who both jumped up and down and cheered.

"Walled up in here, we can wait out our enemy!" Cyan exclaimed, and they all burst out into happy, hearty laughter. Doma was victorious!

"Lets hurry Shadow!" Sabin cried, as he dashed throughout the base, looking back and forth constantly to try to find the way out. Doma was in danger...Doma, and then Narshe...

"Sabin, stop!" Shadow hissed, and grabbed his partner, pulling him behind another pile of crates. When Sabin popped his head up, he could see what Shadow had tried to hide them from. A soldier, and another man, one who was tall, blonde, and dressed in sky blue and green robes had exited a tent, and were walking together slowly.

"General Leo!" The soldier exclaimed. "The citizens of Doma seem to be playing a waiting game..." The blonde looked up at the sky and rubbed his chin.

"Hmm...so THAT'S their strategy..." He said, and turned back to the soldier.

"General, the men who just came back claim that the castle only has one warrior capable of doing any damage. Now, we can be ready to take the castle by taking him out first. Just give the order..."

"Patience!" Leo cried. "If we do attack now, we will have to sacrifice too many lives!" Sabin raised his eyebrows at this particular comment. Apparently, General Leo was not like his fellow counterparts, General Celes and General Kefka, whom he had heard from rumors alone were two nightmarish Empire officers.

"But General!" The soldier protested. "I am ready to lay my life down at any time for the Empire!" Leo shook his head and rested a hand on the soldier's shoulder.

"You're from Maranda, right?" Leo questioned, and the man nodded in agreement. "And your family lives there? Fall in battle, and I'll have to deliver the bad news... What shall I say to them? You have a life to go back to someday. Don't throw it all away for nothing. Emperor Gestahl wouldn't want that..." Leo trailed off, and the soldier nodded.

"Yes sir!" The other soldier exclaimed, ready and able to take Leo's advice. Right then, another soldier ran up to them, and quickly saluted to Leo.

"General Leo!" He exclaimed, and handed him a letter. "A carrier pigeon just delivered this for you from Emperor Gestahl."

"Thank you." Leo said, and took the letter, reading it quickly. He furrowed his eyebrows in worry, and shook his head.

"The Emperor summons me." Leo said, and crumbled the note, tossing it to the soldier who delivered it to him. "I must go immediately."

"I understand sir." The soldier he had been conversing with said, and saluted. Leo saluted back.

"I leave Doma in your hands!" Leo exclaimed, and the soldier nodded.

"Yes sir!"

"Just don't jump the gun...please..." Leo made one last plea, and quickly hurried off with his messenger. The soldier shouted "Sir, leave it to us, sir!" After him, and turned to leave and go about his business. Shadow and Sabin both turned to each other.

"So that's General Leo...." Sabin trailed off.

"He could be my friend...if he weren't my enemy." Shadow added, and they both stood up to continue on. They were no in the heart of the Empire's base...and they would have to be extra cautious...

They decided to follow Leo's direction, for they guessed he was heading towards an exit of some sort. They quietly crept among the boxes and machinery, but both gasped when they heard a loud peel of laughter erupt from not far ahead of them. Before they were spotted, Sabin and Shadow both dashed into a tent and peeked out from between the flaps. Kefka once again came into view, skipping along the small river that ran through the base, and Leo was chasing after him.

"Now that Leo's gone, I'll turn this water into a flowing river of poison!" Kefka squealed to himself, and Leo finally caught up to him, obviously not hearing his previous words.

"The Emperor has ordered for me to return home." Leo explained, short of breath. "And I don't want any trouble here, Kefka!"

"You loser!" Kefka exclaimed, and slapped Leo hard on the back. "I'll take care of this situation in no time!"

"Don't be pompous!" Leo cried, jerking from Kefka's grip. "And DON'T forget that they are PEOPLE, just like you and me!"

"We need not spare those filthy lands that give rise to the Returners!" Kefka spat, and Leo gave up, disgusted, and walked away. Kefka giggled and shook his head.

"Now...you just go and be a good little boy, Leo..." A soldier then came up to Kefka and tapped him on the shoulder, making Kefka yelp and jump into the air.

"You IDIOT!" Kefka screeched, and then managed to regain himself. "So...is the poison ready?" Sabin and Shadow noticed the soldier was carrying a glass bottle with purple liquid inside...

"But sir." The soldier began, noting to keep the poison out of Kefka's reach. "General Leo said..."

"He's no longer here!" Kefka squealed. "I'm in charge now!"

"But sir..."

"POUR IT!"

"Some of our soldiers are in Doma as prisoners!" The soldier cried. "If we poison their water supply..."

"Just pour it." Kefka said casually. "Take 'em all out." Sabin's face turned red, as his blood was boiling with anger... He just couldn't take it anymore... He leaped out of his hiding place, and Shadow followed, surprising Kefka.

"That's inhuman!" Sabin cried, as he strapped on his metal knuckle. Shadow nodded in silent agreement, and pulled out a small, 4-pointed star called a shuriken. Kefka looked from one man to the other, and suddenly burst out into low laughter, smiling and shaking his head.

"Silence!" He smirked. "You're history bub..."

Shadow narrowed his eyes and threw the shuriken in his hand, aiming right for Kefka's head. The star made a shrill whistling noise as it sliced the air, but it was too slow to hit it's target directly. Kefka managed to get out of its way slightly, but his arm paid the price. He let out a girly scream as the shuriken sliced through his puffy sleeves and caused crimson blood to appear. Kefka cringed and suddenly reached out with his good arm, grabbing the poison from the bewildered soldier's

hands and taking off down the river. Shadow cursed, and Sabin took off running after him, screaming "WAIT!"

"Wait!" Kefka giggled. "Do I look like a waiter?" He laughed louder, but stopped when another shuriken came flying and this time struck him in the back. He cried out and hit the dusty ground, while Shadow ran over to Sabin.

"Hurry, grab the poison!" Sabin cried, but it was too late. Kefka cast some sort of healing spell on himself, and stood up, brushing off his robes.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Kefka screeched. "What a toad......Yeoowch!" A laser of the purest white shot from Sabin's hands and stuck Kefka in the stomach, making Kefka the latest victim of Sabin's Aura Bolt. Kefka stumbled back, creating an opening for Shadow to claim the potion. But as Shadow reached out, Kefka cackled evilly and shot out his empty hand, screaming "BOLT!" A crackle of electricity shot from the sky and struck Shadow, stunning him. Kefka giggled and ran off again, as Sabin rushed over to Shadow to make sure he was ok.

"I'm fine...." Shadow let out a deep breath and looked up, seeing that the enemy had escaped. "Was that...magic?"

"Yes... I'm afraid it was..." Sabin murmured, and wiped the sweat off his brow. "Just like Terra..."

"Terra?" Shadow questioned.

"I'll explain more later!" Sabin cried. "Stay here, I'll get Kefka!" With that, Sabin took off down the river. Shadow looked back and suddenly came into contact with two Imperial soldiers who had managed to creep up behind him. They both smirked and drew their swords, which nearly blinded Shadow by reflecting the sunlight.

"Shit..." Shadow muttered.

**********

"UWEEE HEE HEE!" Kefka squealed delightedly as he came to the end of the Imperial Base's boundaries. The water of the river below him was bubbling menacingly, as if it opposed the horrible plans that Kefka was planning to complete with the pop of a cork and the tilt of a bottle. Kefka kneeled down, still not being able to contain his clownish laughter as he popped off the bottle's cork and brushed it aside, gleaming at the deep purple liquid in the bottle with a soft smile on his face.

"Nothing can beat the music of hundreds of voices screaming in unison!!!!" Kefka declared, and began to tremble with excitement as he tipped the bottle upside down, it's contents spilling into the river. The river seemed to bubble even harder as it slowly transformed from a sparkling blue to a violent shade of purple, and then back again. Kefka tossed the glass bottle aside and stood up, brushing off his robes. More to amuse himself than anything else, he adjusted the feather hairpieces

in his hair and cocked his ear towards the direction of Doma, waiting for his concert of death to begin...

**********

"Whew, the soldiers were extra thirsty today." One maid complained as she tied back her sweaty hair with a piece of ribbon.

"Indeed." Her companion agreed. "But it gives me great pride to be able to serve the brave Doma soldiers who are fighting for our freedom! Even if it means running back to the river every 5 minutes to fetch drinks..."

"I'll be so relieved when this is all over." The first said, and kneeled down at the river, scooping a new bucketful of water for when the next round of demands from the soldiers came up. "I hope siding with the Returners was a wise decision His Majesty made. I mean, I would rather die than join the Empire but..."

"His Majesty has good intentions." The second maid reassured. "The Returners are small, but they are powerful! I've had dreams of joining them myself..."

"I would join you!" The first girl said, and smiled. "Let us toast to our future as Returners!"

"To us!" The second exclaimed, and both girls cupped handfuls of water from the river and brought it to their lips. However, something was wrong. They both knew it immediately as the liquid seemed to burn it's way down their throats rather than soothe their thirsts.

".....Mika..." The first one gasped. "I..." But before she could finish her sentence, she collapsed to the ground, dead, as the poison had already reached her heart.

"Raye....!" Mika, the second maid moaned, and clutched at her chest. "I must go....warn His Majesty...Ugh!" But Mika too had received the same fate as her friend, and fell a moment later on top of her, her warning to the king silenced forever.

Cyan was standing on the lookout bridge of Doma Castle, keeping his eyes on the Empire Base that was a lot closer than he or the King had thought. His eyes trailed from the base down to the path of water that spiraled from it to Doma. It reminded him of the drink he had requested not so long ago. Where were Mika and Raye? Cyan gasped as he narrowed his eyes to get a better view of the river, suddenly noticing that it had more of a glimmer to it than it had before. It was a much darker color today as well. Right then, a sentry appeared, his face twisted with urgency, interrupting Cyan's observations.

"Sir Cyan!" He cried. "The Empire Base is bustling with activity! Something must be up!" Cyan looked up at him and blinked.

"Huh?" He asked, not completely hearing the sentry. "The water looks odd..."

Suddenly, screams of pain rung out from below Cyan and the sentry. When they peered over the bridge, they could see a whole line of Doma's finest doubling over and grabbing their stomachs, some their hearts, and collapsing to the ground. The echoes of wooden cups dropping onto the ground also rang out from other parts along with the cries. Cyan and the sentry looked at the North, East, South, and West sides of the palace from their bridge, but only saw the same scene at each part. Dead bodies were everywhere, and each was accompanied by a wood or metal cup, it's contents spilled on the ground beside them. Cyan gasped and stepped back, horrified.

"Sir Cyan!" The sentry cried, afraid Cyan was about to suffer the same fate. However, this was not the case.

"This... is POISON!" Cyan cried, and felt his heart began to race. The Empire...the river's strange color... This could only mean..."

"What a lowdown, contemptible..." The sentry muttered to himself, but Cyan had gathered his wits about him and interrupted the sentry.

"We must guard our Liege!" Cyan cried, and the sentry snapped out of it.

"To the King, on the double!" He exclaimed, and he and Cyan ran down the stairs to the inside of the palace, straight for the throne room.

"The King's room is straight ahead!" Cyan directed, and the sentry pushed open the throne room doors for Cyan, allowing him first entry. Cyan ran in and almost passed out from relief. The King was standing, and looked just fine. However, Cyan felt a shiver run through his spine when he noticed how the King was giving him a far off look.... He was probably disturbed by the screaming outside.

"Your Highness, fear not!" Cyan smiled, and made his way towards him.

"Who's there?" The King suddenly asked, and Cyan stopped, suddenly feeling as if his legs were made out of blocks of ice.

"Cyan...your Excellency." Cyan replied as calmly as possible, and bowed.

"Indeed!" The King exclaimed, and coughed violently. "My sight is going fast... can't see a thing..."

"No!" Cyan cried, and stared at the King's clouded eyes. There was silence until The King dropped what Cyan had not noticed previously... a golden goblet studded with jewels and filled with a tinted blue liquid that spilled all over the white marble floor of the throne room.

"No, please hold on!" Cyan cried, and ran over to catch the King as he fell to his knees.

"Cyan..." The King moaned. "You have defended the realm since my father's days... and I thank you..." He coughed violently and closed his eyes. "It's over... Our kingdom is through..."

"No, not yet!" Cyan cried frantically, trying to get the King to reopen his eyes.

"I fear for your family!" The King cried, and coughed so hard, blood emerged from his lips. "Go to them Cyan!"

Cyan didn't know what to say. He was paralyzed to the spot with fear, a million thoughts sealing each of his joints. What was he to do? Abandon His Lord and risk his family's safety? No, he couldn't... The sentry still remained, waiting for orders.

"Please, save your strength, and don't talk!" Cyan cried, and stood up, gently resting the King on the floor. He gestured for the sentry to come over, and he did so hurriedly.

"Guard his Liege!" Cyan ordered, and the sentry nodded. But as Cyan was about to exit the throne room, he heard the King release a chain of violent coughs that left as quickly as they came. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he heard the sentry whisper "He's gone...Oh, Your Highness..."

Cyan tried to hold back tears and he plowed through the doorway and ran across the hall to the room in which his family resided in. All he could think about was getting to his beautiful wife, a golden-haired woman named Elayne, and his blonde-haired son Owain, who had the face of an angel. He burst into their room and looked about, but couldn't see what he was looking for. Perhaps they had gone to take a walk...

Cyan walked in further and made his way to the bedroom half of the room, his footsteps making soft thumps, almost like a constant heart beat. Cyan felt as if he could cut the tension in the room he had created himself with his blade. When he reached the bedroom area, he let out a small whimper and sunk to his knees, as if he had been punched in the stomach.

There was Elayne, lying on the floor, dead. Her golden hair was spilled onto the floor like silk, and her face had a most painful expression set on it. Cyan found that he did not even have the strength to heave a sob as he crawled over to her and rested a hand on her cheek, which was chilly to the touch. She had not passed on recently it seemed... it must have been long before Cyan had even realized the truth about the river...

"Elayne...Elayne...wake up..." He moaned, and clutched at her lifeless hand. "This...this cannot be happening!!!" However, he knew in his heart, that of course, his sleeping beauty would never again awaken. Cyan lowered his head and slowly stood up, dropping her hand. However, the cold sensation of her death-ridden fingers did not leave his own as he spotted a lump in the bed he and Elayne had shared. Had shared... he was already thinking of her in the past tense...

Cyan did not hesitate as he swiftly removed the cover on the bed, and did not feel that he could go any more numb after he saw what awaited him. There was Owain, his young son, lying dead in bed, the expression on his face matching Elayne's. Cyan opened his mouth to speak, but only a tiny whisper came out.

"Owain..."

Cyan gulped and covered the body back up, his strength slowly returning to him, the warmth slowly flowing back into his hand that had held Elayne's. His heart's sorrow was becoming overpowered by anger, thoughts of revenge.

"NOT YOU TOO!" Cyan screamed, and shook his head. "NO, YOU BOTH CAN'T LEAVE ME!" Cyan turned from the room and fled, not stopping to rest until he found himself at the entrance/exit to Doma castle. Normally, the hall would be filled with the chatter and laughter of Doma's soldiers and families that resided with them. But now it was silent... only Cyan's voice could be heard.

"Dear...Dear me..." He sighed, and brought a hand to his forehead. "Impossible...idiotic...! We can't forgive this!" Cyan pushed the doors of the castle open and broke into a run, the echoing cries of the King and of the dying soldiers of Doma in his mind urging him on towards his destination, the place Cyan could freely and without a doubt claim was his Hell on Earth. As he ran, his hair blew back, some loose strands pulling apart from his ponytail.

"The Empire must pay!" Cyan cried, and prepared to draw his rapier as he drew nearer to the Imperial Base.

Author's Note- People who've played FF6 may or may not know that on the Phantom Train, you can get a temporary character who is a ghost with the name ?????. I've named the chapter after him, but since you can't really pronounce ?????, he'll be known as "The Ghost". So now everyone knows the character behind Chapter 12's Name!

Chapter Twelve - Honorary Phantom Returner ?????

If I don't think of something in the next five seconds, I'm gonna be dead.

Shadow was caught in a bad position. Being half-paralyzed on the ground thanks to Kefka's Bolt spell, the enemy easily snuck up on him, and now had him at their mercy. (As much as he hated to be at anyone's mercy, he was willing to admit now that was indeed in deep trouble.) The soldiers both smirked and were about to bring their swords to Shadow's head, when a loud barking noise broke out, and a black shadow swiftly leapt between Shadow and the soldiers, too quick to be made out for what it really was. With a growl and a mighty bite, the shadow chomped on each soldier's hand, causing them to drop their swords and go screaming off in the opposite direction. Shadow grinned as the black figure made it's way over to him and lovingly licked his cheek.

"Interceptor!" Shadow exclaimed, hugging the dog. "I owe you. Come on, lets go find that Sabin fellow and make sure he hasn't gotten himself killed. He still needs to find us some food." With that, Shadow stood up, and Interceptor began to follow him through the base. However, he stopped his search for Sabin when he came upon a rather interesting sight, actually, 3 interesting sights that were glimmering in the heavy desert sunlight.

"Kefka, damnit, where are you?!" Sabin cried, who had somehow lost sight of the nightmarish clown. He cursed himself at becoming lost, but didn't have long to wallow in any self pity, for he realized he had reached the ends of the base territory. Not only that, but he could also see a whole load of soldiers struggling in a battle only a few feet away. Sabin narrowed his eyes, but was shocked to see that all those soldiers were going up against one lone figure, and that figure was winning! He was a tall man with long black hair in a thin ponytail that waved in the air like a flag as he dashed from soldier to soldier, letting them each have a taste of his shining rapier blade. He was decked out in some of the most majestic navy armor that Sabin had seen outside of his brother's usual flashy wardrobe. Sabin noted that however, this man pulled off the style with a lot more grace then poor Edgar.

"I am Cyan!!!!" The man cried as she slashed his way through the crowd. "Retainer to the King of Doma!"

"Doma!?" Sabin cried. "Are we too late!?" With that, Sabin took off running to help the man.

"Ahhh, he's the enemy!" The soldiers squealed. "Fight harder, everyone!" With that, Sabin was accidentally pushed by a rushing soldier and knocked to the ground.

"Eoooa!" Cyan cried in surprise, glaring at Sabin. "Be you friend or enemy!?"

"Ouch, didn't mean to just step in there!" Sabin cried. "But...hey, can I lend you a hand?"

"Thank you... whoever you are." Cyan said, a little surprised, and Sabin leaped up, throwing himself at the soldiers.

"Ahhh!" They all screamed as Sabin blinded them with an Aura Bolt. Cyan took that opportunity to take them down with his sword. In a matter of seconds, it was all over. Stunned and dying bodies were scattered all about... However, more troops were running towards them to quickly replace their dying comrades.

"Ohhh! This is too much!" Cyan cried, and shook his head.

"Let me have at it!" Sabin shouted, just getting warmed up and swinging a punch at the nearest soldier.

"What a mess!" Cyan exclaimed. "Do be careful Sir!"

"Arrrrg!" Sabin yelled, and took a flying leap back away from the soldiers and Cyan. Placing his two index fingers together, he began a short chant and the ground began to rumble and shake as a barrage of flaming replicas of Sabin began to fly at the soldiers from all directions. In moments, they were all puffs of smoke being carried away by the dry desert wind.

"Amazing!" Cyan exclaimed, dropping his sword to his side.

"That was called a Fire Dance." Sabin explained proudly.

"Fire Dance?" Cyan smiled excitedly. "You must be a disciple of Duncan, the greatest Blitz Master that has ever graced the planet!"

"Well, I used to be..." Sabin trailed off, but shook his head. "But that is not important. I am Sabin Figaro."

"And I am Cyan Garamonde, of Doma." Cyan said. "But I am afraid that Doma has been..."

"Poisoned!?" Sabin interrupted, and Cyan sadly nodded.

"When I find out who was behind it, I'm going to..." But Sabin stopped Cyan by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen... I know how you feel, but we really need to scram!" Sabin explained. "It's not safe here!"

"But what of my home, my family... and my friends?" Cyan protested. "Who will avenge them all...?"

"I promise you will have your chance soon enough." Sabin said desperately. "If we stick around any longer, we'll have a regiment of troops down our throats."

"I see 'em!" A voice suddenly yelled out, and Sabin turned, only to see soldiers running at them from all angles.

"Hooo-Boy." Sabin muttered, and looked around. However, he soon found a solution to the problem, and gestured for Cyan to follow him.

"What in blazes?!" Cyan cried as he pulled out his sword to defend himself as he and Sabin ran past all the soldiers further back into the base.

"I have a friend in here!" Sabin explained. "I can't just leave him here... but these will help us navigate a lot faster!" With that, Sabin pointed up to the set of 3 Magitek Armor suits he had spotted from afar.

"Sir Sabin!" Cyan cried. "What on Earth are these?"

"I'll explain later!" Sabin assured him. "Just get in and relax!" With that, Cyan followed Sabin's actions and climbed into the tall armor. Sabin grinned as he poked about at the machinery, but Cyan cringed.

"Sir Sabin! How might these abominations be manipulated?" Cyan squealed, and Sabin rolled his eyes. This man was not patient at all!

"I'm getting sick of this! Thou art such a pain in the...! Confound it all! I'm starting to talk like you! Now listen! Just use those levers located by your hands!" Sabin burst out, and tugged down on one of his own levers. However, as he did so, he heard a growl from the empty machine behind him and Cyan.

"Ahhh!" He and Cyan both shouted at once, and turned around in their seats, only to see Shadow sitting still as death itself in the third unit, smiling pleasantly. He had kept so still that Sabin had not even noticed him before.

"Shadow!" Sabin exclaimed. "So I've found you!"

"Indeed, that seems to be the case." Shadow said. "Who is this?"

"Cyan, of Doma!" Sabin explained hurriedly. "Doma has already been attacked, I'm afraid... so our next goal is to get out of here, pronto!"

"Indeed!" Cyan exclaimed, and slammed down on his lever. However, this caused his armor to let out a loud his of steam and begin to turn in rapid, dizzying circles over and over again.

"Sir Sabin, I am in your debt!" Cyan exclaimed as he went in another circle.

"Ahhh, forget it!" Sabin protested. "Now, come on!" He pushed his lever forward and began to march slowly when a group of soldiers clamored up to them., with raised guns.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" One shrieked.

"Ahhh, we cannot stop now!" Cyan exclaimed happily, and suddenly his armor charged through the soldiers, causing them to both run and bounce off in several different directions. Sabin and Shadow looked at each other worriedly.

"Ehh... lets just bust through!" Sabin ordered, and with that, the three of them began to charge through the Imperial Base towards the southern exit. Soldiers shot and cursed at them, but alas, their own armor units were quite effective against any attack they tried to make against them. After blasting through a few more soldiers and tents, the three men had finally reached their destination, and broke free from the base. However, the armor units were beginning to slow down due to uncharged batteries, so they stopped the armor each hopped out, deserting them in the yellow grassy plains outside the desert base. Positive no one would bother chasing after them now, Sabin, Shadow, and Cyan all turned to each other, waiting for one of them to say what was to happen next. Everything had happened so quickly, for each of them...

"I can't believe we made it this far." Sabin said thoughtfully, and stroked his chin.

"Indeed." Cyan said, nodding.

"Eh..." Shadow grunted.

"So... How do you get to Narshe from here?" Sabin asked both Shadow and Cyan, hoping one of them would know.

"You are going to Narshe?" Cyan questioned. "To head off the Empire's attack, I presume..."

"Yes!" Sabin nodded. "How did you know about the Empire's plans?"

"Doma, although accused of associating with the Returners, weren't really. However, we did gather information about the Empire on our own, and learned of the Esper in Narshe. I guess the Empire found us out though...and wanted to make sure we couldn't warn anyone else..." Cyan looked down sadly, but Shadow shook his head.

"You must give up all hope...of having a better past." Shadow said coolly, and crossed his arms over his chest. "You must think of now. The present. The present danger...that Narshe is facing. With the knowledge of the Empire's planned attack, what will you do? Run away?"

"No!" Cyan cried. "That, Sir, is senseless! I...I wouldn't want the sacrifice the Kingdom of Doma made for this information to be in vain...perhaps it was fate that I met up with you, Sir Sabin, Sir Shadow. I am sure my wife and child would understand that I not remain in Doma right now..."

"Perhaps." Sabin mused, getting the intention that his wife and child were no longer of this world. Shadow said nothing.

"But why do you fight?" Cyan asked.

"I am a Returner." Sabin explained. "I am fighting with my brother, King Edgar for the insurance that Figaro will have a better tomorrow. I also have new friends that I wish to protect." At this point, Sabin thought of Terra, the mysterious young woman, and of Locke, who seemed just as mysterious, if not more...Locke, who seemed to hide a lot behind those fake smiles of his.

"What about you?" Cyan looked to Shadow. Shadow shook his head and merely answered with: "I need food for Interceptor." Cyan, not knowing who this was, was a bit confused, but dropped the subject.

"Well, at any rate, you need to get to Narshe then." Cyan said. "I will accompany you, if you don't mind..."

"No, of course not!" Sabin smiled. "The others will be happy to meet you. But how are we going to get there?"

"To get there, we need to cross through the forest to the south of this continent." Cyan explained. "It's the only route."

"Alright, it's decided!" Sabin shouted. "Lets go!!!"

**********

Getting to the forest was not as easy as said. Beasts and other small monsters were running wild through the plains, and Sabin and the others found themselves in almost constant combat. However, every once in a while, Interceptor, Shadow's loyal pet, would leap out of no where and take a monster down for the kill on his own, making battles easier.

"That dog is unreal...almost like a phantom." Sabin murmured to himself at one point.

But at last, the forest was reached, and after a few moments of rest, the team went inside. However...

"It's so dark in here!" Sabin cried, and squinted his eyes. "It's like night!"

"This is the Phantom Forest." Cyan explained. "It's always like this."

"Hmmph." Shadow replied.

The beaten path in the forest was hard to see because of the lack of light, and Sabin felt as if he and his comrades were merely going in circles over and over again. After what felt like an eternity, he finally gave in to his frustrations and let out a mighty scream of agony.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHG!"

"Sir Sabin!" Cyan cried.

"This is horrible!" Sabin yelled. "Does this place have no end!?"

"It feels like we are going in circles..." Shadow trailed off.

"Oh no, you feel it too?!" Sabin cried.

"Stop, stop!" Cyan shouted, and pointed ahead. "Look, Sabin, Shadow, between those trees there..."

Sabin took a deep, calming breath and turned to where Cyan was pointing. In the short distance ahead of them, he could see a strong light, as well as a beat up wooden post. He leaned in to try to read it, but it was faded badly. He could only recognize one word: Train.

"Lets go see what's by the light." Sabin suggested, and wordlessly, Cyan and Shadow followed him deeper into the forest. However, when they reached the light behind the trees, they were all rather shocked!

Ahead of them was a train platform, empty and gray in color. However, there were burning lights every few feet of the platform, and the large light they had seen belonged to the massive train that was sitting at the platform, smoke pouring out of it's smokestack.

"A train is here?!" Cyan cried. "But I thought Doma's railway had been destroyed...?"

"There may be survivors inside." Sabin said. "Lets take a look."

Sabin pushed open the small gate that led to the inside of the platform, but nearly jumped in the air when he heard it slam behind them. Other then the echo of the gate, there was no other noises. As they slowly walked along the side of the train, Sabin spotted a passenger entrance.

"Hey!" We can get in right here!" Sabin exclaimed.

"Sir Sabin!" Cyan protested immediately.

"We can just keep wandering around out here! We have to go on board!" Sabin lectured, and before anyone could say anymore, he slid open the door and walked in.

"Sir Sabin!" Cyan cried again.

"Don't worry!" Sabin called from inside the dark car of the train.

"Sir Sabin..." Cyan shook his head and entered after him. Shadow entered last.

And the door slammed shut behind them.

"What on Earth...?" Sabin murmured as he looked about the interior of the train. It was finely decorated, with silky red carpets and exquisite lighting utilities, however... there was also something seriously wrong about it. Floating every which way were faded blue figures that were pale enough to see right through... and they were all either wearing long, dragging robes, or dragging long chains and/or keys over their robes.

"Ghosts..." Shadow whispered. Sabin raised his eyebrows and Cyan cried out in fear.

"Let me off!" He shouted. "This train is HAUNTED!"

Suddenly, a short rumble shot through the entire car, and the team could feel the train slowly start to move.

"It...It's moving!" Sabin cried.

"If we don't leave now...!" Cyan was interrupted as Sabin quickly ran to the door he had come in to throw it back open. However, the door was stuck tightly. No...not stuck...

....Locked!!

"It won't open!!" Sabin cried.

"We are too late!" Cyan moaned.

"What is with this train?" Sabin demanded.

"...I was afraid my suspicions were correct..." Cyan sighed. "Sir Sabin, I told you that it was not good for us to come in here!"

"Well, what were your suspicions?" Sabin asked, feeling a little wary.

"That this was the rumored "Phantom Train"..." Cyan shook his head. "It carries the...departed, to the other side..."

"Wait a sec!" Sabin shouted. "I don't want to go THERE!" However, Cyan did not seem too excited, either way.

"We all must go sometime..." Cyan sighed.

"But I have things to do HERE." Sabin argued. "And I've decided that we have to stop this thing...before it is the end of the game for us!"

"Lets make for the engine." Shadow suggested.

"The engine is in the front, more then likely." Sabin said carefully. "But lets go through here first, ok?" With that, Sabin pushed open the door to his right, and entered the small caboose of the train. Inside was another ghost and what appeared to be an elder man. The ghost looked to them, and slowly began to float towards the group.

"AH!" Sabin and Cyan cried in unison.

"Quiet." Shadow ordered. "It does not seem to have the violent vibes it's cousins in the other room had..."

The ghost floated up to Sabin and did a small bow. He then bowed to Cyan, and Shadow.

"It seems... to want to come with us." Cyan said weakly, and at this, the ghost happily bobbed up and down. Well, it seemed to be happy, you couldn't really tell, for a hood that had the resemblance of a black starry sky covered what it's face might have looked like.

"Well, ok!" Sabin exclaimed. "The more, the merrier!"

"...." Cyan shook his head as the Ghost did a small victory dance, and proceeded to follow the party over to the old man.

"I manage this train!" The old man exclaimed. "What business have you here?"

"Tell us about the train." Sabin said.

"This train ferries the dear departed to the "Other Side."" He said. "There, they can take their eternal rest." Everyone, even Shadow gulped, but Sabin pressed on.

"How do we stop it?"

"You wanna stop the train?" The old man shrugged. "Just use the controls in the engineer's compartment! It's in the front end of this train, just so you know." Sabin thanked him, and saw Cyan looking over a small book on an unsteady table.

"Be this the time schedule?" Cyan questioned.

"Hmm..." Sabin looked over his shoulder and blinked. "They're all blank!"

"The Phantom Train guides the departed ones to the spirit world!" The old man suddenly added. "They have no need of schedules!!"

This chilling comment made everyone shudder, so Sabin shook it off and walked over to a wall with a switch on it.

"What's this?" Sabin questioned. "Let me just give it a..."

"Sir Sabin!" Cyan cried. "Maybe we shouldn't fumble with that!" Sabin looked over at Cyan and nearly laughed. He could hardly believe the man freaking out before him had been the same warrior back at the Empire base! There were two different sides to this guy! Finally, Sabin just had to give in to himself, and laughed at Cyan as he flipped the switch. However, nothing happened.

"Gave it my best shot..." Sabin said, while still laughing. Cyan hurried over and flipped the switch right back.

"How...can you...do such a thing?!" Cyan cried, his eyes wide. Sabin blinked, and realized the truth about this so called warrior.

"Cyan... are you one of those types who's afraid of machines?" Sabin questioned. He should have guessed it before! All those old noble type were like that!

"How dare you?" Cyan snapped snottily. "Just because I respect other being's property doesn't mean I'm not mechanically minded!"

"Cyan...you're a total klutz when it comes to machines, aren't you?" Sabin smiled slyly, and Cyan turned red.

"SILENCE!" Cyan roared, and the entire caboose seemed to shake. Shadow, Sabin, and the Ghost all turned to Cyan, who immediately blushed furiously.

".....H-How could you tell?" Cyan asked meekly, and Sabin just laughed again and shook his head. Shadow, as usual, looked less then amused, and the Ghost just...floated there.

After discovering Cyan's little weakness, the team made it's way back out of the caboose and began to travel car to car to the front of the train. Ghosts traveled past them and sometimes right through them at times, but they generally did not bother the team unless the team bothered them first. Every once in a while, they would run across an angry spirit and be forced into battle, but it was nothing Sabin's Fire Dance and Cyan's blade could not handle. Shadow would throw mystical scrolls that released fire against the demons, easily destroying them. The ghost would throw a punch to anyone who got in it's way, but if you were ever struck by a ghost, you would know that it felt the same as someone trying to hit you with a tissue.

However, the half-peaceful trip was suddenly interrupted when the group entered a new car, and found that there was no door in it to go on.

"Well, we'll just have to go outside and walk along the rails to the next car." Sabin suggested, although the team had been avoiding doing just that because of the harsh and chilly winds that blew outside of the cars. However, they really had no choice. When Sabin led the group back to the door they came from though... A Ghost stood in front of it, and it did not look too pleased.

"N.o...e.s.c.a.p.e...!" It moaned in a soft, almost whispering voice. Sabin let out a yelp as it threw itself at the party, but Cyan gathered his wits and sliced the ghost from head to feet with his rapier, making it disappear in a flash of purple light.

"That was close...thanks Cyan!" Sabin said quickly, and threw open the door. However, when everyone was outside, their surroundings suddenly darkened, and another soft voice moaned:

"Ha..ha...ha...What ever did you think you were doing...?"

Shadow blinked and whirled around to see if there was another ghost in the doorway.

"N.o...e.s.c.a.p.e...!"

"Who's there?" Shadow yelled.

"It came from this direction!" Cyan cried, and began to run along the car rail to the next car. However, he was stopped by a line of ghosts emerging from the car ahead of them! The line forced Cyan to back up to the group, so they tried to run back in the direction they originally came from. However, a line of ghosts had suddenly appeared there too, ready to stop them!

"Whoa, they're coming from this way too!" Shadow said.

"Oh my God!" Cyan whimpered.

The wind began filled with the shrill chants and lowly moans of all the ghosts, their words chilling the spines of the team and paralyzing them to their spots. The only other noise that could be heard over the moans were the creaking gears and wheels of the Phantom Train, which brought them all ever closer to their final destination...

"N.o...e.s.c.a.p.e...!"

"N.o...e.s.c.a.p.e...!"

"You can't escape... Nowhere to run... Nowhere to hide..."

"You can't escape... Nowhere to run... Nowhere to hide..."

"These...ghosts are bloody persistent!!!" Cyan cried.

"Up here!" Shadow exclaimed, and began to climb to the roof of the train. Sabin and Cyan followed suit, and soon they were all teetering on the roof of the shaking car. However, the ghosts were not stupid, as they too began to float upwards, trapping the group!

"I believe we're stuck!" Cyan pointed out. Sabin looked around hurriedly, and suddenly got a wicked grin on his face.

"I know!" Sabin exclaimed.

"You have an idea?" Cyan asked hopefully.

"Yep!" Sabin nodded and began to stretch his arms and legs. "Time to see if all my training has paid off!"

"Wha..." Shadow didn't know what to say.

Sabin cracked his knuckles and ran to the edge of the roof. "Come Cyan, come Shadow!" With that, Sabin took a flying leap off of the roof and landed perfectly on the roof of the next car, waving for the others to join them. Cyan timidly went next, and landed gracefully next to Sabin. Shadow jumped so fast that Sabin and Cyan didn't see him until he had landed lightly at their side, and their ghost companion merely floated over.

"Yahoo!" Sabin exclaimed, and they all leapt again, doing this for 3 consecutive cars until on the 4th car, the roof under Sabin shattered, and he went plummeting into the car below. He landed on his behind with a hard thump, but nothing appeared broken. Sabin stood up and brushed himself off as the others jumped in after him.

"Are you ok?" Cyan asked.

"I'm fine!" Sabin exclaimed. The ghost danced happily at this.

"Well, at least we lost them..." Shadow trailed off, but suddenly cringed at the sound of moaning outside. When he dashed outside the car to check what was going on, he was surprised to see the ghosts that had been chasing them all gathering on the second and third trains behind them. They were slowly inching towards the fourth car, where the team would be trapped again!

"Everyone!" Shadow cried as he ran back in the car. "We have to detach the rear cars, right now! Those ghosts will be here any minute!"

"But how will we do that?!" Sabin protested.

"We're doomed." Cyan stated sadly.

Suddenly, their ghost companion turned and began to float away from the group.

"Huh?" Sabin asked.

The ghost looked back at Sabin and waved it's arms in a frantic motion. Sabin didn't realize what it was doing until he heard a click, and the car suddenly jerked forward, causing everyone to fall to their knees. However, the moans outside began to fall farther and farther away... Sabin finally stood up and went outside, not really knowing what to expect. However, he was pleasantly surprised to see the cars of the train the ghosts had been swarming on falling further and further behind them, until they had completely disappeared in the darkness of the forest.

"Hey!" Sabin exclaimed. "The whole back end of the train is gone!"

"The ghost must have known how to detach the cars." Cyan commented as he stepped outside and joined Sabin.

"Thank goodness!" Sabin grinned, and Shadow and the ghost joined them outside as well. "Shall we proceed, my good men?"

"Cut it out." Shadow grunted, and Sabin could not tell if he were happy to be out of danger or not. He shrugged it off and led the group on.

The next car on the train was the dining car. It was empty inside, except for some tables and chairs scattered about. Just to be funny, Sabin sat down at one of the tables and banged his fists on the table excitedly.

"Food, Food!" He cried. "Bring me everything ya got!"

Suddenly, a ghost materialized out of thin air, and presented to Sabin a plate full of some of the most succulent chicken and potatoes that Sabin had ever laid eyes on. The ghost set it down on the table, and disappeared as mysteriously as he had appeared.

"Ohhh..." Sabin drooled and prepared to take a bite.

"Are...Are you going to be okay if you eat THIS?!" Cyan cried worriedly.

"Worried?" Sabin grinned. "Can't wage war on an empty stomach!"

"Hmmmm....Sir, I won't hear any more of this kind of talk!" Cyan cried, but before he could say anymore, Sabin had grabbed handfuls of chicken and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Gobble... snarf... snap..."

"Ahhh...." Sabin grinned, satisfied as he popped the last piece of chicken in his mouth and leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach. "Well, I've stuffed down all I can, lets go!" Cyan looked as if he were about to hurl, and Shadow chuckled some. The ghost just floated about, looking bored.

The next car appeared to be a dormitory car. There were several doors, each leading to a small and empty bedroom. More ghosts floated about here, but did not seem intent on killing Sabin and the others like the psycho group they had left behind. In one room, however, instead of being totally empty, contained a treasure chest.

"Oh!" Sabin grinned, and kneeled down to open it.

"Stop where you are!"

"Huh?" Sabin blinked and stood up, looking around. Suddenly, a man dressed in robes of pale blue and dirty white dropped down in front of Sabin, and pushed him aside. Sabin grunted and tried to get a glimpse at the man's face, but couldn't see who it was, for he had a mask on.

"I am Ziegfried, the world's greatest swordsman!" The man cackled, and drew his sword, which was a long, shining blade covered in bright jewels. "That treasure chest is mine. If I were you, Ox, I'd grab grandpa, here, and run!"

"Grandpa!?" Cyan stuttered.

"You look more like a manicurist." Sabin snapped. "Now SCRAM!"

"Aha!" Ziegfried laughed. "The Ox bellows! Allow me to introduce my blade...!" With that, Ziegfried leapt at the party in a blinding flash and began to make rapid slashes every which way that were so dizzying, Sabin couldn't keep his vision straight. He almost feared that he would be struck when Ziegfried jumped back and cackled menacingly, ending his attack and expecting his enemies to fall to their knees. However, the blade had not touched one of them, except for the ghost, and it merely went through him. Ziegfried widened his eyes.

"Wha, what happened?" He stuttered, and with that, Sabin strapped on his claw and gave The World's Greatest Swordsman a hard blow to the stomach. Ziegfried cried out and stumbled back, falling to his knees.

"Impossible! I...I'm the greatest... But I still laugh last!" Ziegfried moans of pain turned into laughter, and with that he leaped up and swiped the entire treasure chest. Pushing past the stunned group, he reached the doorway and gave a little wave.

"Ta-ta, Cretins!" He exclaimed, and disappeared.

"What a bag of wind..." Cyan muttered.

The group reached the end of the Dormitory Car and were all happy to see that ahead of them was the engineer's compartment of the train and the smokestack as well that they had seen when they first arrived at the platform. Just as Sabin opened the door to the room, the Ghost gave a little wave and began to float away quickly.

"Hmmm... I guess we're on our own now..." Shadow said.

"Thanks buddy!" Sabin exclaimed, and waved back to the ghost until it disappeared.

"He wasn't THAT bad." Cyan admitted. "Shall we carry on?"

The group entered the room and began to look around for some way to stop the engine of the train. At last, Shadow came upon a note taped to the wall of the compartment.

"Something is written here." He said. "To stop the train, shut the first and third pressure valves, and operate the switch outside, near the smoke stack."

"I found the valves!" Sabin exclaimed, and did as the instructions said, shutting down the first and third ones.

"Lets go outside now." Cyan said, and they did so, Sabin climbing up on the smokestack to shut off the final valve. When he did, the train suddenly rumbled and shook underneath him, throwing him back down to the others. However, it did not appear to be even slowing down!

"Hey, did we do it right?!" Sabin cried. The train rumbled again, and a deep voice suddenly spoke, it's words echoing off of the trees in the woods.

"SO!" The voice boomed. "IT IS YOU WHO HAS BEEN SLOWING MY PROGRESS!"

"Is that the train speaking?!" Cyan cried.

"The voice is coming from within it!" Shadow confirmed. "It is the Phantom Train!" At saying this, the train rumbled again, and threw the group off ahead into the middle of the tracks!

"RUN!" Sabin screamed, and they all scrambled up and took off running, the train roaring right on their tails. The train was so wide in the front, that if they tried to run to the sides and escape into the woods, they would be crushed to nothing!

"The train...is NOT attacking us..." Cyan tried to convince himself as he continued running.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Shadow said coolly, and with that, the train suddenly opened a small compartment in it's front, and out shot a spinning wheel!

"Dodge it!" Sabin instructed, and everyone leaped over the wheel as it rolled past them.

"I don't know how much longer I can run!" Cyan cried.

"Me neither..." Shadow moaned, his breath coming in rough intervals.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" Sabin cried, and racked his brains for an idea.

"The Phantom Train must not let anything stop it's journey to the other world!" Cyan moaned. "That's why there were ghosts attacking us...and why it is attacking us now!!!!"

"....Phantom....Train..." Sabin trailed off and suddenly, a most brilliant idea came to mind.

"This train, it's a phantom, right?!" Sabin shouted. The roar of the engine that was coming ever closer to them was beginning to hinder their speech to each other.

"It is indeed!" Cyan confirmed sarcastically. "When did you figure THAT out, Sir Sabin??"

"Shadow!" Sabin cried, ignoring Cyan's comment for now. "Hurry, and throw a Phoenix Down at it!"

"What?!" Shadow yelled.

"Just do it!" Sabin cried. "I'll pay you back the 150 gil later.....!"

"......Hmmph." Shadow grunted as he reached in his pack and turned around, tossing the Phoenix Down like he would one of his stars or scrolls. The glass bottle of ruby red liquid smashed into the front of the train, and shattered instantly. However, the train suddenly sputtered, and began to rapidly slow down. Sparks flew out of it's weapon compartment, and an inner explosion could be heard. With that, the train just came to a complete stop, and steam poured out of every opening possible.

"Do you see?" Sabin grinned, and he kneeled to the ground to catch his breath. "It was undead! Therefore, the power of life could destroy it!"

"Very nice indeed." Cyan nodded happily, and Shadow just nodded as well.

"...You don't have to pay me back." He finally said. However, their victory discussion was interrupted by the deep voice that belonged to the train.

"I WILL LET YOU GO." The train sputtered. "I CAN SEE THAT YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE. BUT FIRST, THERE IS SOMETHING I MUST DO..."

**********

Before they knew it, the group found themselves at a new platform, which the train had stopped at to let them off. On the way there, the same conductor who they had met in the caboose of the train explained that they were being let off at the end of the forest rather then going on to continue to journey of the train. When Sabin asked where that was exactly, the conductor could not answer. Then when Sabin asked how the heck the conductor got from the caboose to the front of the train without them noticing, he simply refused to answer.

"Hooo boy, finally got off!" Sabin exclaimed, and stretched his legs when they stepped on the platform. "At any rate...we shouldn't be here... so lets go, NOW!" Cyan was about to agree, when some familiar voices caught his ear, making his heart wrench in agonizing memory.

"Oh my God..." Cyan murmured, and took off running to the far right side of the platform.

"Huh?" Sabin asked, and he and Shadow ran after him. They found Cyan staring at a line of faded passengers climbing into the entrance of the train, all having the ghostly appearance of their friend that had helped them on the train. However, Cyan began to shout and cry out as a tall, beautiful woman with shining blonde hair in a ponytail and a rich red skirt on got on and assisted a young man with blonde tendrils and cute green shorts. The pair walked to the rear of the train and gazed out at their surroundings.

"No!!! Elayne, Owain!" Cyan cried, and began to push through the ghostly passengers in line to get to them.

"Cyan!" Sabin shouted.

"Elayne and Owain... his wife and child...?" Shadow questioned.

"Departing!!!!" Sabin cried. "They're departing!"

"Please, wait!" Cyan moaned, but the train began to roar as the last passenger climbed on, and the doors shut in Cyan's face. The train slowly began to move down the track, picking up speed every few seconds or so.

"Ahhh! Elayne, Owain!" Cyan cried in agony, and pushed past Sabin to run down to the other end of the platform. Sabin gasped and tumbled over the side of the platform, but Shadow dashed down and grabbed his hands just in time. Cyan continued running, his vision blurred with tears as she shouted at the top of his lungs. Suddenly, the woman in the back of the train looked up at him, and held up her hand, calling out.

"My love!" She said, holding her hand out to Cyan, even though he was far out of reach. "You made me so happy, Cyan! Please, do not forget me...!"

"Father!" Owain called as well. "I'll make sure Mother is alright...!" With that, the train suddenly gained more speed, and disappeared from view. Cyan heaved a sob and collapsed at the end of the platform, his body shaking all over. Meanwhile, Shadow had pulled Sabin up to the platform again, and Sabin began to approach Cyan.

"Hey." Shadow said coolly, and grabbed Sabin by the wrist. "...Leave 'em alone for a while..." Sabin nodded, and they both turned towards Cyan's crumpled body, his sobs so loud and hard that they caused him to choke several times. Sabin turned away, not being able to bear the view, and looked to the ground.

He secretly swore to himself that he, as a Returner, would do everything in his power to never allow a scene like this to happen again.

Chapter Thirteen - Gau, Wild Child of the Veldt

After Cyan had collected his wits in the Phantom Forest and assured the team that he would be quite alright, they made their exit and traveled the only road leading south from the forest, eventually coming upon an uphill path that would lead them straight to Baren Falls.

At the top of the falls, Sabin looked out at the view and took in a deep breath of the fresh, water-sprayed air. It was a most welcome change from the musty forest air from before. Just off in the distance, Sabin could see the long green plains that were known as the Veldt, and just at the northern tip of the Veldt, he could make out a very small village. That was Mobliz. It used to be that a traveler could cross a very large bridge to get across the falls and then take a path in the opposite mountains to get to Mobliz. There, you could go down to Crescent Mountain and raft your way to Nikeah, which was on the other side of the continent that Narshe was also on. However, that mode of travel was no longer in existence, for "somebody" (The Empire was the most suspected, but never proven guilty) had burned down the bridge the linked the Veldt to Doma's territory, and besides that, the waterway that linked Mobliz to Nikeah (known as the Serpent Trench) had collapsed within itself in many areas due to the use of Magitek machines while the Empire traveled within it, and had filled completely with water so that there was no way one could raft within it. The circumstances regarding the planet's unity grew more and more unfortunate every day, it seemed...

Remembering all this vital geographical information, Cyan spoke up first.

"Sir Sabin, what are we to do now? We've made it through both the Empire's base and the Phantom Forest, but I am afraid we have become stuck."

"Yeah, really!" Sabin exclaimed, and turned to Shadow, who looked bored. "You told me to travel south to get to Narshe, but there is no way to get there!"

"There is always a way." Shadow said coolly, and nodded towards the falls. Sabin didn't quite understand him until his own sense of adventure had awoken once more and gave him the inspiration he needed.

"We can get down to the Veldt by..." He murmured to himself, and Cyan interrupted him.

"There are dangerous creatures there!" He protested. "And it has only gotten worse since travel through there slowed down!"

"But the Empire is right on our tails." Sabin argued. "If we don't get out of Doma territory soon, we'll all be in trouble."

"Hmmm...Well, if we did slip through the Veldt, we could easily reach Mobliz to recuperate and then...." Cyan sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "But how...?"

"We'll have to jump the falls!" Sabin decided, and slammed his fist into his hand decidingly. "Is that what you meant, Shadow?" But Shadow merely nodded and did a quick bow.

"I have served my purpose." He said, and turned to walk away. Sabin blinked and hesitantly raised a hand.

"Shadow!" He cried, and Shadow turned, not appearing to have much emotion over their departure, which had at last arrived. He had decided he had had enough for now.

"Thanks for your help!" Sabin exclaimed. "Let's join ranks again sometime!"

"Good-bye Sir Shadow!" Cyan added, and Shadow nodded again and suddenly took a flying leap from where they had been standing to the lower path below that they had climbed up to get to the falls. In a few seconds, he had disappeared from their view.

"He's like the wind..." Cyan commented to himself, and then turned back to Sabin. "Now, please tell me you were joking about jumping the falls."

"Of course not!" Sabin exclaimed, and laughed. "Are you afraid?"

"Are you CRAZY!?!?" Cyan shouted in return. "We'll never make it!"

"Sure we will, just hold your breath." Sabin said casually, and suddenly grabbed Cyan, tossing him over the edge of the falls!

"AHHHHHHHHH, SIR SABIN...........!!!!!!" Cyan's shouts could be heard as he flew down the falls, his voice echoing and fading ever slowly as he descended. Sabin laughed more and took a giant leap off the cliff himself, plunging into the freezing cold water of the falls that pushed him downwards so fast that he could barely keep focus on his surroundings. He had to admit that the pounding water sure made a great body massage though!! This was the way that the overly-positive Sabin thought most of the time. However, the pounding water and the roaring of it all around him was beginning to make him feel slightly light-headed...

"Whoa!!" Cyan cried, who was quite a ways below Sabin by now. A most monstrous fish that was a shade of violent purple had suddenly leaped up from Cyan's side from the falls and snapped it's ugly jaws right near the tip of his nose. He had no bloody idea what this thing was, but it did not look too keen with having visitors. Thinking that it would have given up after failing to bite Cyan once, he began to relax again (well, relax as best as he could while body-surfing down a waterfall) when all of a sudden the nasty creature leaped out of the water again from Cyan's other side, and tried this time to snap off his ear.

"Arg!" Cyan grunted as he struggled to unsheathe his blade. However, the water was pounding far too hard on his arms and shoulders, practically paralyzing him in place as the creature leaped about, trying to eat him a body part at a time.

"Sabin, HELP!" Cyan cried, cringing as the monster let out a vicious growl. Sabin, hearing his friend even over the roaring waters, sleepily opened his eyes after half-way drifting to sleep and saw Cyan below him, struggling to avoid the attacks of some purple-ish fish. Determined to save his friend, Sabin pushed his hands together in Blitz stance and decided that he had best warm up his good old Aura Bolt spell. After chanting a few holy words, the shining beam of light shot out from between his hands and hit the purple target, head-on. Fried, the fish let out a defeated whimper as its crusty body burst into a bright light and dissolved a moment later.

"You ok down there?!" Sabin cried.

"I'm fine now, thanks!" Cyan called back. Sabin suddenly let out a moan and tried to reach up to rub his forehead, which was feeling even lighter now that he had used some of his energy to make the Aura Bolt. Everything around him began to fade into a soft whiteness...and all of a sudden, his whole body felt light as a feather-as if the wind could carry it off at any moment...

*********

Edgar sighed as he peered out the frost-covered window of Arvis' house, hoping to see his brother and Locke making their way up Narshe's main road, but at the same time knowing that all he would see was the same thing as before... Empty nothingness. As usual, the atmosphere of the town was rather dark, since it was completely sheltered from the mountains, but it seemed even darker now, for none of the shops or homes had their outdoor lights on. Everyone was in hiding, for rumor that the Empire was to invade had spread quicker then a fire in a dead forest. Edgar began to wonder if the Narshe guards would even let Locke and Sabin in if they did indeed arrive.

"Do you see anything?" Terra asked worriedly, and Edgar turned from the window to face her. She had dark circles under her eyes, not being able to rest at all since they had arrived at Narshe since she was so worried over Locke and Sabin. Her new friends, all laying their lives down just for this one chance for her to talk to the esper...it was ridiculous. What if she couldn't do it? What if she wasn't indeed the last ray of hope for the world like Banon had said? She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, and reached out to put a hand on the wall so that she wouldn't fall.

"Please, hurry back to Narshe!" Terra prayed under her breath.

**********

Celes narrowed her eyes up toward the sky and stopped walking for a moment, tucking her hair behind her ears as she tried to read what time it was by the sun's position in the sky. Locke didn't even notice she had stopped until he asked a question and didn't get an answer. He turned around and sighed some as he watched her eyes slowly inch over the sky, searching for something. She let out a held in breath and brought a hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun. When Locke realized he was staring, he shook his head and cleared his throat loudly, causing Celes to look over at him.

"What is it?" She asked, and lowered her hand so that they were facing each other.

"Is something wrong?" Locke asked worriedly. "We'll be in Narshe soon...if you're having second thoughts that is..." Celes shook her head to that, much to Locke's relief.

"No, I was trying to figure out what time it was." Celes replied. "Being locked up for as long as I was, I sort of lost my sense of time."

"I don't really know, sorry." Locke apologized. "But really, we should be there soon..."

"I know." Celes said coolly, and crossed her arms over her chest. "But it may not be soon enough, I'm afraid."

**********

"Oooh....my head..." Sabin let out a low moan and slowly began to sit up, pushing his wet bangs out of his eyes.

"Oh, Sir Sabin, you're awake!" Cyan exclaimed, and Sabin looked over to his comrade, who looked perfectly fine except for some stray locks of hair from his ponytail.

"Yeah....But I don't remember much." Sabin shook his head and ran his fingers through his slightly damp hair to spike it back up again. The rest of him appeared dry, since they had been lying out in the sun for quite a bit.

"The water pressure on your head must of made thou as drowsy as I." Cyan said, and sighed. "But we made it."

"Sure we made it, but who brought us to shore?" Sabin questioned. "I mean, we didn't just float onto the dry grass...."

Suddenly, Sabin stopped talking when he heard the sound of very quiet footsteps not too far away from where he and Cyan were recovering. Cyan, with his trained ears, heard them as well, and looked up worriedly.

"Is it a monster?!" Sabin whispered, suddenly remembering how the Veldt was the home for dangerous creatures of the world all over.

"Uwaaaaoooooo!"

"AHHH!" Sabin and Cyan cried in unison, grabbing onto each other. A blur of tanned skin and green hair suddenly leapt out of nowhere and landed in front of the two frightened men, hooting and hollering at no one in particular. He finally stopped the noise and then just began to laugh joyfully

as if this were all very amusing. Sabin blinked and narrowed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

It was a boy.

Well, perhaps not a boy...a young, young man might have been more appropriate. He seemed to be in that tall, awkward stage of life a lot of men went through- He was rather skinny in structure, with evidence of small muscles built up on his arms and calves, and a skinny waist. His wild green hair was spiked all about on his head and flying in different directions, but his long green ponytail seemed sleek and tame. He had crimson eyes that were filled with delight-there was not a flicker of malice or hatred in them. He was wearing a sash made from what looked like King Behemoth hide around his chest and a matching pair of long shorts that seemed to be put together by someone who could not sew very well. The rest of him remained uncovered, including his bare feet.

"......Who might you be?" Sabin asked nervously, although he had a feeling that this was the person who had rescued himself and Cyan.

"!!!!" The boy seemed surprised and turned to run.

"Wait!" Cyan exclaimed. "Was thou the one who pulled us from the river? How can we thank you?"

"...." The boy stopped and seemed to think for a moment, as if deciphering Cyan's sentences one word at a time.

"Gau...hungry!" He suddenly cried, and rubbed his stomach. Sabin and Cyan looked at each other, confused.

"What's a Gau?" Sabin asked.

"I think that is his name!" Cyan said. "And I think he is hungry."

"We don't have any food!" Sabin squealed. "Think he'll eat us?!" At the sound of the word eat, Gau jumped up excitedly.

"Food...! Food...! Oooowaaaoooo!" Sabin gulped and looked at Gau.

"We don't have any food!" Sabin protested. He then tried to make hand movements to get Gau to understand. However, he ended up accidentally doing a blitz attack, and poor Gau was stuck with a nasty aura beam. He cried out and then howled loudly into the sky, although he had indeed not been very hurt at all.

"Owaaaaoooo!" Gau cried. "Uwaaoooo! You....strangers! Go away! You scare animals!" With that, Gau took off in the blink of an eye.

"Ack!" Sabin cried, and hid his hands behind his back.

"Sir Sabin!" Cyan cried, and shook his head. "Well, so much for thanking him..."

"I'm sure he is ok." Sabin said. "Didn't seem to stun him much with that attack...You have to be pretty strong to be able to resist a blitz like that..."

"What are you implying?" Cyan asked, and Sabin shrugged.

"Nothing at all... I think we should be going to Mobliz!"

"I agree." Cyan nodded, and with that, the two men took off up the Veldt to Mobliz, which could be seen even with their distance from the town. It was a small village, and rather cozy and welcoming of any strangers. Since they were so cut off from the rest of the world, they found visitors to be rare and also a sign of good fortune in the near future. So when Sabin and Cyan finally made it to town, they were immediately surrounded by happy villagers welcoming them and begging to know where they had come from.

"Well...." Sabin proceeded to give some of the villagers a short version of the story of how he and Cyan had come to Mobliz from Doma. He also explained that they needed to get to Narshe as soon as possible.

"To get to Narshe, you need to get to Nikeah first." A young woman said, who was holding the hand of a small child. She had light blonde hair up into a bundle of curly tendrils on the side of her head. "But we can no longer go there, I am afraid..."

"You mean there is no way?" Cyan asked painfully.

"There used to be a way, after the waterway collapsed within itself." She said, trying to ignore the child now tugging on her hand. "One of the injured soldiers here from the Empire developed a helmet that would let you breathe underwater and allow you to swim through the Serpent Trench to Nikeah--What do you want already, Ashley!?" The woman looked down to the girl, who looked desperate for attention.

"Ask them if they have ever been in Miranda, Katarin." The girl demanded impatiently. Katarin sighed and did just so.

"Have you been to Maranda recently?"

"No, sorry." Cyan said, and Sabin shook his head.

"Oh darn..." The little girl pouted. Sabin looked up quizzically at Katarin, who sighed some.

"My cousin here is worried about this soldier who lives in a house in the northern part of our village." Katarin explained. "He is from Miranda, and he also has a girlfriend there that he had to leave behind when he was forced into the Imperial Army. The only way he has managed to keep in touch with her is with Carrier Pigeons, but he explained to us that he was anxious to hear news about Miranda from travelers too because he is worried about Lola."

"Lola?" Cyan questioned.

"Oh, his girlfriend." Katarin said. "But thanks anyway...If you want to see the soldier, he, as I said before, lives in the house up north. Bye!" And with that, Katarin took the little girl with her and left. A few moments later, the crowd that had gathered around Sabin and Cyan thinned out, but no one had been able to say much more about getting to Nikeah, except for one man, who explained that the helmet Katarin had been talking about was stolen from the village not too long ago.

"Well, I'd say we are in a most undesirable position." Cyan commented as he and Sabin strolled about town.

"Duh." Sabin said, not nearly as cheerful as he was before. "We're stranded here unless we find that helmet!"

"Perhaps we should visit that soldier." Cyan said thoughtfully.

"Why's that?" Sabin asked.

"Well, I wonder if he is the soldier that invented the helmet in the first place." Cyan explained. "You know, like Katarin said? If he was, then maybe he could help somehow..."

"Good idea." Sabin agreed, and he and Cyan walked up to the northern house where the soldier was said to be living. It was a very small house, and looked deserted, but when Sabin knocked, a small voice from within shouted "Come in!"

Sabin opened the door and entered, discovering right away that the house consisted of only a big room, with a few bookcases, a rug, a desk with an oil lamp, and a small bed in which a man was lying, the covers pulled up to his stubbled chin. He had a white bandage covering a cut on his neck, and some blood-tinted bandages wrapped around his forehead. It couldn't be seen too well, but his right arm was also in sling, and both of his legs were also set in casts underneath the blanket, for both of his legs were broken...

"Good late afternoon Sir." Cyan said, and bowed politely. Sabin waved hi, and the young soldier actually smiled.

"Hello." He said. "My name is Ethan....I do not believe that we have met before. Strangers are such a rare thing here in Mobliz! The rumor around here is that they bring good luck...heh heh!"

"I'm Sabin, and this is Cyan." Sabin said. "We're from Figaro and Doma, respectively, although I am doubtful we are good luck of any kind!" He laughed heartily with Ethan, but then got back to business. "We heard about you from Katarin..."

"Oh, she is such a lovely young woman." Ethan smiled. "So is there anything I can do to help you?"

"We heard a rumor of a helmet that can let the wearer breathe underwater and take the Serpent Trench to Nikeah." Sabin said. "Do you know anything about it?"

"I'm afraid not good sirs, only that the helmet has recently been plundered." Ethan said sadly. "The soldier that crafted that once lived at the inn, but I am afraid his injuries got the best of him, and he..."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Cyan said quickly. "In that case, we didn't mean to trouble you."

"You didn't, don't worry." Ethan smiled and then suddenly let out a painful moan, turning to slowly shift onto his back to relieve some of his pain. Sabin furrowed his eyebrows in concern, wondering if now was the right time to go...

"Before you leave..." Ethan suddenly spoke up again. "Do you see the letter on that desk over there?" Sabin looked and said yes, as indeed there was a sealed letter on the only desk in the room.

"I am from Miranda." Ethan said sadly. "When the Empire invaded our town, they forced me to join their army, and when I heard we were to attack Doma, I ran away. However, they caught me...and did this..." He moaned again and Sabin thought he heard the man sniffle. "That letter, could you read it to me? It just came today and I think it may be from Lola..."

"Sure." Sabin said, and Cyan nodded. Sabin took the letter from the desk and carefully unsealed it, pulling out the stationary inside. It smelled faintly of roses...

"I can't get used to imperial troopers walking the streets of Maranda, but otherwise things are okay. Flowers are blooming in the garden, telling me spring is here. How are you doing? I'm so worried. I wish I could fly to your side! Rest, and know that I think about you constantly. Come back to me...

Love,

Lola"

Sabin ended the letter, and looked back to Ethan, who was staring up at the ceiling. Finally, he heaved a sigh and closed his eyes.

"I'd like to write her back but...I can't even pick up a pen..." He moaned. "At any rate...thank you, and good luck on your journey, strangers." Sabin and Cyan considered themselves dismissed, and made their exit.

"I feel sorry for him." Sabin mused when they stepped outside.

"Indeed...What the Empire does to its own soldiers is terrible." Cyan shook his head. "I only know too well how that man feels, to be separated from the ones he loves..." Sabin sighed as Cyan looked down.

"Well...the sooner we get to Narshe, the sooner we can protect more people from the Empire." Sabin explained gently. "But at any rate, since we can't get the underwater helmet, I think that we may have to go down to Serpent Trench and investigate it ourselves. I am going to go to the Item Shop and pick up some rations for the trip down the veldt."

"What of me?" Cyan questioned. Sabin smiled.

"I have an idea for you." Sabin said, and looked back to the soldier's house. "While you're waiting for me...why don't you sit down in there and write a letter to Lola for him? You know, ask him what he wants to say and write it down for him?"

"That's a most wonderful idea Sir Sabin!" Cyan exclaimed. "I shall propose it to Ethan right away. I'll see you later!"

"Bye Cyan." Sabin smiled, and waved before making his way across the small village to the Item Shop. There, he purchased a few tonics, phoenix downs, a stamina recovering tent, and some dried meat for a late lunch/early dinner incase they did not make it back to Mobliz at a reasonable eating hour. After his shopping, Sabin explored the town on his own for a bit, taking in the peaceful scenery and happy laughter and chatting that surrounded him. For Sabin, it had been ages since he had been in a town that was not filled with fear or despair from the Empire breathing down their necks. The world had become undone, and at the rate the Empire was growing, there might not be any sanity left in the hearts of the poor people by the end of the year.

"Hmm...we'd better be leaving if we don't want to be walking on the Veldt in the dark." Sabin noted to himself as he looked up at the sky. With that, he picked up Cyan from the soldier's house, almost feeling bad for interrupting the two men's conversation about swords. After saying their final good-byes, they left, and Cyan held up the letter he had written.

"He was so happy." Cyan smiled as they passed by a Carrier Pigeon Post Box and deposited the letter in it along with the 50 gil it took to mail it.

"I am glad." Sabin smiled back. "I just hope we get some of that good luck the villagers here say we have..."

The Veldt air was rather humid and the tall, dry grass made a crunching noise as Sabin and Cyan marched through it. The Crescent Mountain Range was directly south of Mobliz, and within it was the Serpent Trench. Sabin was beginning to feel a bit restless, almost wishing a monster would

come out of hiding to challenge his idle fist, when all of a sudden, there was a loud screech, and Gau, the wild child from before, leapt out of the tall grasses ahead of Sabin and Cyan, giving them the scare of their lives.

"AHHH!" Sabin screamed.

"Good Sir, what are you doing?!" Cyan scolded Gau, who burst out laughing. A loud growl emitted from his stomach, suddenly making him moan and rub his tummy.

"Uwaaoooo...Gau hungry..." He sniffled. "Strangers scare away all food!"

"I think he's talking about us." Sabin blinked.

"Obviously." Cyan said. "Why don't you just give him some of that dried meat you picked up before?"

"Oh, alright." Sabin sighed and pulled out a piece of the meat, throwing it to Gau.

"There ya go, sorry we scared the animals." Sabin said bitterly, not wanting to part with his portion of their dinner. Gau cheered happily and caught the meat, instantly stuffing it into his mouth whole.

"You're going to choke!" Sabin cried. Gau blinked and then gulped the meat down, a most satisfied grin on his face.

"Thou are so....odd." Cyan remarked. "But at any rate...there is your repayment for rescuing us at the river before. Thank you. I am Cyan, and he is Sabin." Gau looked from Cyan to Sabin, and then back to Cyan curiously.

"You Cyan...you Sabin....me want more food!" Gau exclaimed happily.

"No more for you." Sabin said firmly, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You...go get more for me!" Gau tried, and Sabin shook his head.

"You're a regular munchkin!" He exclaimed, and Gau howled.

"And you....afraid of me!" He smirked, and Sabin blinked.

"You wanna fight?!" Sabin challenged, and raised his fists.

"Sir Sabin, Sir Gau!" Cyan cried, but of course, no one was listening to him.

"Me not wanna hurt you..." Gau smiled sweetly, making Sabin turn red.

"Quit lookin' at me like that!" Sabin shouted, and leaped at Gau. Gau cried out and before Cyan could stop either of them, they were chasing each other around in circles, bringing dust up from their feet. Finally, Gau stopped, and laughed manically as Sabin collapsed to his knees.

"You're...pretty tough..." Sabin huffed.

"Waa-ha, that fun!" Gau replied. "Sabin strong!"

"I'll show you strong!" Sabin cried, and they proceeded in chasing each other all over again. Gau was so fast, he managed to slip out of the circle that he and Sabin were running in without Sabin even noticing until a few minutes later, when Gau started to laugh and point at the disgruntled Sabin who was chasing himself in a circle. Cyan tried his best to hold back a chuckle.

"Me like dancing!" Gau smiled. "You good leader!" Sabin stopped running and turned even redder then before.

"Shut up!!!" Sabin bellowed, and Cyan stepped in between them.

"Simmer down Sirs." He said calmly, and looked to Gau. "And thou...O wild one, who might you be exactly?"

"Thou?" Gau blinked and began walking around them, looking all around.

"Thou! Thou!"

"I don't think he knows you're talking to him." Sabin whispered rather loudly.

"Ahem..." Cyan began, but Gau cut him off.

"Thou! Thou!"

"Thou! Thou!"

"Thou! Thou!"

"Oh dear..." Cyan heaved a sigh and turned around. Gau blinked, noticing him right away, and rushed up to Cyan.

"You angry?" Gau asked, but Cyan did not reply.

"You angry...me?" Gau asked again, walking around to face Cyan.

"Cyan! You angry...me?"

"Cyan! You angry...me?"

"Cy--ack!" Gau squirmed as Sabin grabbed him by the sash on his chest and pulled him aside.

"Listen Gau, his family was just..." Sabin trailed off and sighed. "They aren't here anymore...uhhh...." But surprisingly, Gau's eyes showed understanding.

"Me understand..." Gau nodded, and walked back over to Cyan. "Me sorry...Me not a mean person...really." Cyan looked up, and Sabin and Gau were both relieved to see him smiling.

"Well listen!" He exclaimed. "We can't have ye two prancing 'round all day! Gau, I think we are going to get along fine together. Why don't you join us?"

"Aha!" Gau exclaimed. "And me give you present! Gau give Cyan and Sabin nice gift in thanks for food!"

"What manner of rubbish do you suppose he's gonna..." Sabin trailed off as Gau began to jump up and down excitedly.

"Gau's treasure...Shiny!" He exclaimed. "Shiny shiny shiny shiny shiny!"

"Can anything be THAT shiny?" Sabin questioned wearily.

"Does Mr. Thou like shiny thing?" Gau asked Sabin, and Sabin nearly fell over.

"He's Mr. Thou over there!" Sabin cried, and pointed to Cyan, who laughed. Sabin did smile though, and brought a finger to his chin in thought. "Hmmm...A shiny thing, eh? Think about how jealous Locke is gonna be when he hears about this!!!"

"Who be Locke?" Gau demanded. "He bad man? Maybe he try to steal my treasure!!" Sabin blinked and tried to look as surprised as possible at the thought of Locke stealing treasure.

"Locke....? Well, he's..." Sabin began to explain, but Gau had begun to twirl about in circles, laughing hysterically.

"Listen when someone is talking to you!" Sabin cried.

"I think he is trying to tell us something." Cyan said, and Gau pointed southward.

"Here! Here! Shiny thing here!" Gau exclaimed, and Sabin and Cyan turned to see that he was pointing to none other then the distant Crescent Mountain.

"Sabin!" Gau said, and Sabin looked back to him. "Place where you buy food...it's called Mobliz!"

"Duh." Sabin muttered, and Gau looked to Cyan.

"Cyan...place where you stand, river brought you here!" Gau said, and Cyan nodded. "Now we go to Crescent Mountain! Shiny thing there!"

"Alright, we will go along with you." Cyan said, and with that, Gau leaped ahead to lead the group. Sabin sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Phew...Why'd we have to invite him along, anyway?" He asked himself. Suddenly, Gau walked backwards up to Sabin in a strangely creepy way that made Sabin get a chill.

"Mr. Thou, hurry up, we're leaving!" Gau said, and Sabin growled.

"Hey, I told you once, I am not Mr. Thou!" Sabin bellowed, and with that, chased Gau all the way to Crescent Mountain, Gau laughing the entire time.

**********

At the entrance to a cave in Crescent Mountain, Gau began to dance about and make strange motions with his hands that Cyan couldn't even understand. However, Sabin guessed right away.

"Cyan, the shiny thing that Gau spoke of must be in here." Sabin said, and Cyan nodded.

"Uh...Sir Gau..." Cyan began, "Where exactly is it?"

"Gau....forget!" Gau exclaimed, and Cyan and Sabin's jaws dropped.

"Shall we look around!?" Sabin asked with clenched teeth, and Cyan agreed with a cheerful "Indeed!" The cavern wasn't very big, but still, the shiny treasure could have been anywhere.

If only Locke were here, we'd have found this in no time! Sabin thought bitterly. Gau leapt to a corner of the cave and dug furiously, but came up with nothing.

"Not over here..." Sabin mumbled. Gau suddenly looked excited and dug in another area. A few moments later, he held up a....

"Tonic!?" Sabin cried, eyes wide.

"T-This is Sir Gau's treasure!?" Cyan stammered. But Gau quickly shook his head and handed the Tonic over to Cyan for safe keeping, while Sabin inspected the edge of a small cliff that looked as if it had been dug at before. Gau grinned and slowly snuck up behind Sabin, who was muttering to himself.

"GAU!" Gau exclaimed, his voice bouncing off the walls of the cave. Sabin screamed and leaped up, a small pouch falling from his belt into the unreachable deeper part of the cavern below the cliff.

"Gah!!!" Sabin cried. "My pouch! That had 500 gil in it....Why you little...!"

"Oh dear, Sir Sabin, let me handle this!" Cyan cried, before Sabin could wallop on the poor boy. However, Gau escaped both men, running down a small corridor into a new room. A few moments later, he called out their names, and Sabin and Cyan both came running after him.

"Did he get attacked!?" Sabin cried worriedly, forgetting the prank Gau had just pulled.

However, when they came into the new room, they found a very proud Gau holding up a large, golden helmet of some sort with a few cords attached to mouth pieces dangling off of it. Sabin blinked, and Cyan clapped his hands together.

"Is this is? Sir Gau's treasure?" He asked.

"Treasure...yesss..." Gau grinned.

"This looks like the underwater breathing helmet that they had in Mobliz!" Sabin said, and looked at Gau. "Hey, did you steal this?"

"No, Gau never steal." Gau said confusedly. "Stealing wrong. Gau find in monster chamber in part of Crescent Mountain. Monster dead, monster children crying. Gau borrow shiny thing to find fish for monster children. Children grow up and leave nest and shiny thing!"

"Oh...how very noble!" Cyan beamed, but Sabin cut right to the chase by snatching up the helmet and looking it over.

"Looks like it might just fit." Sabin said, and fingered one of the cords. "It would seem that multiple people can use this by having one wear it, and the other people use the mouth pieces attached to the helmet. I can tell it is fused with Magitek Power..."

"Well, we still should use it." Cyan said. "I mean, Gau has used it, and he's fine, right?" Sabin blinked and gave Cyan a look that read: "Yeah, REALLY fine." But he knew what Cyan meant. Gau had wandered off to another room in the cave, which actually led outside to a ledge over a very fast river.

"This Serpent Trench." Gau explained when Sabin and Cyan had joined him outside.

"Current's....fast." Cyan gulped.

"No kidding..." Sabin said, and looked at the helmet again. "But if we don't hop in, we will never see our friends again..."

"...Right...." Cyan said, and looked up from the ground. "So let us go!!!"

"Gau!" Gau exclaimed.

**********

The trip through the Serpent Trench went very quickly for the team. Before Sabin knew it, they had reached the docks of Nikeah's harbor and had pulled themselves onto dry land once again. A sailor who had been lifting crates and bringing them onto a ship nearby turned to look at the three soaking wet travelers, surprised.

"Hi!" He exclaimed, and set down the crates. "Did you come from Mobliz...?"

"Yeah." Sabin explained, and took off the helmet. Cyan and Gau removed their mouth pieces as well.

"So they have recovered their lost helmet!" The sailor said, and smiled.

"Yeah, but we don't know how to return it, since we're not going back." Cyan said worriedly.

"Don't worry about it." The sailor said. "If you want, we can take it to Mobliz for you by ship like we used to do when travelers still came to Nikeah with the helmet."

"Oh, well thank you!" Cyan exclaimed, and Sabin handed over the helmet to the sailor.

"Speaking of ships, will there be one leaving for Narshe anytime soon?" Sabin asked.

"You're in luck, one will be leaving in a half an hour." said the sailor. "If you get seasick, I recommend you get a good drink in you at the tavern before leaving."

"Good drink?" Gau questioned, and Sabin laughed.

"Come on Gau, we'll show you around." Sabin offered. "Bet you've never been anywhere outside of Mobliz and the Veldt, huh?"

"Gau no remember." Gau said, a troubled expression coming over his cute boyish face.

"It is ok, Sir Gau." Cyan smiled. "Let us all get something in our stomachs before we go to Narshe!"

So, the three men made their way into downtown Nikeah, which was full of many outdoor merchants excitedly shouting to each other and to the potential customers. Gau blinked in amazement and looked all around, taking everything in. Everyone looked so happy...no one looked afraid that he was around...

"Here's the tavern!" Sabin exclaimed, and they entered. It was actually quite empty, except for the bar tender himself and a young woman leaning up against the wall. She was actually quite attractive, but there was something almost sinister behind her deep violet eyes and shining red-lipped smile. Cyan eyed her strangely as he, Sabin, and Gau sat down.

"Hullo." The bartender said gruffly. "What will it be?"

"Hmm... This place got any specials?" Sabin asked, and laughed nervously. It had been a while since he had had anything like alcohol, and he honestly couldn't remember any good drink names...

"Yeah, it's a mix of Curiel and Mimmet greens with just a touch of cherry." The bartender said.

"Sounds great!" Sabin said. "Three rounds of that please." The bartender turned to make the drinks, and spoke to the team as he did so.

"You look kinda wet...Make your way here through the Serpent Trench?"

"Yep!" Sabin said.

"So that means you were up north." The bartender concluded. "Lots of troubled folk up there...Have you met the man who lives in the lone house north of Doma? His wife bore 'em a son 13 years ago, but the poor girl died while giving birth. The man totally lost it, and thought the child was a monster. He threw 'im out on the Veldt to die...Wonder if the poor baby survived...? Probably impossible, but..." He shook his head and handed over the three drinks. "Anyway, good that you've come to Nikeah safely." With that, he disappeared through a door behind the bar to get some more supplies. Sabin felt his spirits go down a little after that story, and looked to Gau, who was curiously looking over his drink. Suddenly, a thought came to him.

"Hey Gau...how old are you?" Sabin asked, and Gau looked up.

"Hmm..." Gau held out a hand and began counting in a most confusing way. Finally, he looked up at Sabin and grinned.

"Gau...Forget!" He exclaimed, and laughed.

"Figures..." Sabin smiled some. There probably was no connection anyway... But while Sabin was pondering this, Cyan was developing a complex situation of his own. The young woman leaning against the wall had sauntered over to him, and slid on the stool next to him, crossing her legs so that her already rather short skirt rode up even more, making Cyan turn red for noticing.

"Yoo hoo!" She cooed, and smiled. "You handsome thing...how 'bout joining me? Tee hee!" Cyan blinked and realized the nature of this woman right away.

"H...how dare you...you licentious howler!" Cyan cried, and leapt from the stool. The woman smirked and followed him, forcing him to step backwards until he was pressed against the wall.

"Geeze, don't blow an artery baby!" She exclaimed, and Cyan cringed.

"B-Baby!?" He howled.

"Cyan!" Sabin laughed, and stood up. "Don't let it get to you!"

"But...but I'm not like that!" Cyan protested.

"No one thinks you are." Sabin said, and smiled. "Just let it go."

"Stop whispering!" The woman exclaimed. "My ears are burnin' baby..."

"Enough!" Cyan cried as Sabin and Gau proceeded to drag him out of the bar. "Have you no shame? I'll have you know...etc...etc....."

"Goodness!" The woman exclaimed after they had left.

"Cyan...Don't you know not to pick a fight with a lady in public?" Sabin shook his head.

"That was no lady!" Cyan cried.

"Gau disagree..." Gau trailed off, with hearts in his eyes.

"Sir Gau!" Cyan moaned. "No no, you see..."

The three of them proceeded to argue about the young woman in the bar even when they boarded their ship for Narshe. Finally, though, things began to quiet down between them. The sun had begun to set, casting a soft golden glow in the horizon. Sabin was sitting by himself at the head of the ship, half-meditating and half thinking about what would happen when they reached Narshe. Terra would talk to the Esper, but Kefka was also going to attack. Did Kefka know Terra was in Narshe? If he found out, he would surely try to get his hands on her again...

Right then, Cyan walked over to Sabin, and put a hand on his shoulder as he sat down himself.

"Narshe is just a stone's throw away!" Cyan exclaimed with some cheerfulness in his voice, despite knowing about the situation that would await them. Sabin had explained everything to him and Gau in full depth on the boat.

"I just hope the others arrived safely." Sabin said, thinking of Terra, Edgar, Banon, and Locke.

"I am sure they did." Cyan nodded, and Gau suddenly appeared as well from behind Sabin and Cyan, his hands folded together.

"Me hope so too...."

Chapter Fourteen - The Young Woman Surrounded in Light

Back in Narshe, Terra, Edgar, Banon, and Arvis had decided to proceed further in their plan of talking to Narshe's esper, despite Locke and Sabin not being with them. It was turning into night outside, reminding them that time would not stop just so that their friends could join them. Arvis took the group of Returners to the Elder's home, to discuss with him the grave situation Narshe was in.

"....I understand all of it." The elder said, and shook his head. "But how can WE be encouraging bloodshed?"

"Well, I never said....that exactly!" Arvis cried.

"Something like it." The elder said somewhat coldly.

"He is right, you know." Banon interjected, and both Arvis and the elder looked surprised.

"Banon!" Arvis cried.

"Our blood will spill because of you!" Banon shouted at the elder, who backed up a few steps. Terra's gaze flitted nervously from one man to the other, and she could hear Edgar sigh.

"Emperor Gestahl's racing to acquire Magitek power. He's set his sights on the Esper that was found here! The increased use of Magitek power'll surely lead to global destruction..." Banon glared at the elder. "You see, in the end, it did not matter whether you refused to side with the Returners or not. You see now that the Empire will destroy you anyway! Your people will parish if you do not seek outside help, and we are willing to defend you...we just need to see that esper...!" The elder sighed and looked away, realizing the truth.

"The War of the Magi...The mythical battle that set mankind back a thousand years..." The elder half-murmured to himself. "Can this really be happening all over again? People will never learn...Myself included, I am afraid..." Terra wrapped her arms around herself and tried to remain hopeful that the elder would come to his senses about what was happening.

"Brother!" A voice suddenly called out. Edgar gasped and turned around. Terra blinked and clasped her hands together happily.

"Sabin!?" She exclaimed.

"Hiya Terra!" Sabin smiled, and made his way into the parlor of the elder's house from the hall. "Long time no see, eh? You look great!"

"Sabin!" Terra cried, and suddenly surprised him with a hug. "I am glad to say you look great as well!"

"Thanks!" Sabin grinned, and messed up her hair. "As for you Edgar...well...Ha ha, I'm just kidding!! Didja miss me?" Edgar smiled and put his hands on his hips.

"Sabin...I am glad you are safe." He said happily. He, like his brother, sometimes had a hard time revealing his true emotions. "But... who is with you?" Edgar peered at the two new faces standing behind Sabin.

"Gau...Gau!" Gau exclaimed.

"He is a child we found on the Veldt, but he packs a wallop in battle!" Sabin explained. "He's hard to understand sometimes, but his intentions are as good as gold! He calls himself Gau."

"Hi Gau!" Terra smiled, and Gau ran over to her, taking her hand and kissing it like a little gentleman.

"What your name be?" Gau asked Terra, whose cheeks were slightly pink.

"Terra!" Terra exclaimed.

"And I'm Edgar, KING of Figaro AND Terra's handsome companion." Edgar noted icily.

"Edgar Sabin's brother?" Gau questioned. "Sabin tell us about you. You think girls love you! Does Edgar have mate?"

"....Erk...." Edgar turned red and looked to Sabin, who tried not to laugh.

"And I am Cyan Garamonde, retainer to the Lord of Doma!" Cyan said, and bowed. "I came to join your ranks as a Returner after Doma was attacked...I am afraid there were no other survivors to join me, but..."

"Oh..." Terra sighed and brought a hand to her chest. "Another place was attacked..."

"The people of Doma were wiped out by the Empire..." Sabin explained.

"Kefka...he poisoned...everyone..." Cyan squinted, and tried to keep his eyes from watering.

"That's barbaric..!" The elder cried.

"Elder!" Banon exclaimed, wondering if he had decided to side with the Returners after all.

"....But it was only because Doma was collaborating with the Empire." The elder finished, and shook his head. "If Narshe makes that mistake..."

"That's nonsense!"

Locke slammed the parlor door behind him and walked up to the group, a young woman at his side whose eyes slightly narrowed when she saw the rest of the group within the room. Cyan, again felt threatened by the woman's presence like he did back in Nikeah in the bar, but somehow, this felt much more dangerous. Terra however, felt as if part of her memory had just been suddenly revived.

I...I've seen her before...somewhere! Terra thought. Half of her wanted to ponder her memory, but her other half was so anxious to see her other new friend back, that she put the thought in the back of her mind.

"Locke!" Terra cried. "We were all so worried about you!"

"But of course...who wouldn't be worried about the greatest treasure hunter of all time?" Locke gave her a small smile, but then quickly turned to the elder of Narshe. A reunion would have to wait. There were more critical issues at hand.

"The Empire is poised to attack Narshe at any moment!" Locke announced.

"What?!" Edgar blinked.

"Hey, I was gonna say that..." Sabin said, and snapped his fingers.

"Locke." Banon said, and walked over to the young man, who was now breathing heavily as a result of his and Celes' marathon run through Narshe to bring the news. "Where did you hear this?"

"This is Celes Chere." Locke said, and rested a hand on Celes' shoulder, causing her to raise an eyebrow at him. "She used to be one of the Empire's generals, and..."

An Imperial General.... Terra blinked and thought harder now.

"Grrrr!" Cyan cried, and pointed a finger at Celes. "I knew she seemed familiar! Sir Gau, out of my way!" With that, Cyan shoved Gau aside roughly. Gau nearly toppled into Terra, causing her to squeal as Cyan marched over to Celes and drew his blade. Shocked, Celes cried out and backed up against the wall, but before Cyan could bring his sword to her neck, Locke leaped in front of him, spreading out his arms so that he could not get past him. A gasp seemed to come out of every person's throat in the room at this sudden turn of events.

"Fool!" Cyan shouted at Locke. "This is General Celes! She torched Maranda, Tzen, all of the southern continent villages! She's an Imperial Spy! Now, stand aside..." Celes brought a hand to Locke's arm and tried to pull it down.

"Locke, don't..." She said, but Locke wouldn't move.

"Please wait!" Locke said. "Celes has joined the Returners...she's one of us now!"

"But..." Cyan was interrupted.

"I promised I would protect her." Locke said, this time in a firmer, more threatening tone. "And I WILL NOT back out on my word..." Celes blinked in surprise, and slowly dropped her hand from his arm. Cyan looked disgusted, and Edgar sighed sadly.

"Locke...are you still thinking about...that?" He questioned, and Locke looked over to him. Terra felt that this situation was most uncomfortable, but she realized that it was not fair that Celes was being ridiculed for her former self, and she decided that no matter what, there should be no critical secrets between any of the Returners.

"I was also an Imperial Soldier." Terra said, and Cyan turned on her.

"WHAT!?" He cried. Terra hung her head in shame, but Edgar put a hand on her shoulder.

"The Empire is evil, but not all of it's citizens are!" He cried. Cyan still looked as if he were about to explode, and Sabin suddenly wondered if bringing him along was such a wonderful idea.

"Oh, this is just peachy..." Sabin murmured to himself. "The Returners argue upon our reunion..." Suddenly the parlor door flew open, and a disgruntled Narshe guard appeared.

"Emergency!" He cried. "The Empire Cometh!" Terra gasped, and Celes crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hmmph...I'm not one to say "I told you so", but..."

**********

Just outside of Narshe, there was a loud commotion consisting of the ever-colorful Kefka and a good sized group of his Imperial Soldiers, most of them accompanied by Ralphs and Dobermans, giant dogs that had been fused with Magitek power so that they could use magic and fight at command. They were all barking and howling, straining against the chain leashes that kept them from running through the city at will.

"Now listen to me!" Kefka shrieked. "I don't care what the hell you do here....JUST GET ME THAT ESPER!!!"

"But lord Kefka!" A soldier cried. "There are civilians here...!"

"Exterminate everyone!" Kefka screeched. He had been having a bad day...First the Imperial Base was raided by that muscle-headed idiot Sabin Figaro and his Returner companions, then he had

learned that General Celes Chere, who was supposed to be put to death, had managed to escape her cell! Kefka had so been looking forward to executing her, too...

"But Narshe is neutral..." Another soldier protested. Kefka suddenly let out an ear-piercing shriek and sent a ball of fire streaking at him. The soldier gasped and managed to duck out of the way just in time. The fireball smashed into a snow bank behind him and made a loud hissing noise as it was put out by the chilly snow.

"IDIOTS, READ MY LIPS!" Kefka bellowed. "DISPOSE OF ANYONE WHO OPPOSES US! NOW MARCH!"

**********

Oh dear... Terra thought to herself as she looked about the room. Everyone had proceeded to argue with one another. Cyan was going on and on about how Sabin didn't mention there were imperial traitors within the Returners, Sabin was protesting that he didn't feel it was necessary, and that he didn't even know about Celes. Then he started yelling at Sabin for trying to kill Celes in the first place, even if she did seem suspicious...

"I am not a spy!" Celes growled.

"Leave her alone!" Locke snapped.

"Uwaaoooo!" Gau moaned.

"Can't you keep quiet, jungle boy!?" Edgar cursed in irritation. He knew why Locke had brought Celes along...

"Edgar, keep your temper." Locke said calmly. "He's a boy."

"No more a boy then you..." Edgar replied coolly, and Locke shot him a dirty look.

"Oh please." Locke said sarcastically. "This is coming from the man who is a skirt-chaser...I don't even think Gau does that." Gau blinked, Edgar turned scarlet, and Terra gulped. This could not go on...

"Everyone!" She cried, and suddenly the commotion stopped. Terra looked at everyone and pressed her lips together for a moment, trying to gather what she was going to say.

"....We...are all Returners." Terra began, and turned pink when she noticed everyone's attentions were now totally focused on her. "....And...Now we know that Celes was right...that Narshe is going to be attacked...and soon! If...we don't protect the Esper here in Narshe, all our work up to this point will be for nothing. All of the sacrifices we, and other kingdoms even, have made..." She looked

directly at Cyan when she said that, "...It will all be wasted. We cannot let Kefka get that esper, or even threaten Narshe in any way!" Her voice got louder as she reached the last part of her speech.

"I was once afraid, but now, I am willing to fight. Kefka is the man who stole my very memories from me. He has stolen something precious from all of you as well, I can only assume. Or else, you wouldn't be here, would you? So tonight, we must not only fight for Narshe...but for ourselves! And in order to do that, we have to put aside our own differences. Ever since I have been with Locke, Edgar, and Sabin, I have seen over and over again how teamwork and faith in your friends can get you through anything." Terra sighed. "...Truthfully...this faith is all I have right now. But...it is enough..."

"...Oh Terra..." Locke murmured.

"...You...truly are our ray of hope!" Banon smiled happily.

"You're right Terra." Edgar said firmly, and smacked his fist into his open hand. "We've gotta fight for Narshe. The Returners will defend anyone who is attacked by the Empire!"

"You see, Elder? We are willing to fight for you." Banon said, and the elder nodded.

"I see how it is." The elder said, and sighed some. "We've moved the esper into the snow hills so that it isn't in such a confined area. However, there are 3 paths that go up the hill it is resting on, so it could be attacked at several angles."

"We can get around that." Terra said. "We'll just divide ourselves into 3 groups, and defend each path from Kefka's troops!"

"Good idea Terra!" Edgar said. "Alright...so we can have 2 groups of 2, and 1 group of 3." He determined, counting the heads in the room, except for Banon, who still had not properly recovered from the trip to Narshe and was in no condition to fight.

"Celes, I could use your magic power...will you fight by my side?" Locke asked, and Celes looked up at him. She noticed that for some reason, his cheeks were slightly pink.

"Of course Locke." She said, and smiled some.

Magic... Terra blinked. I felt it, that familiar aura...So she can use magic as well...I must ask her about that later.

"I want to be with my brother." Edgar decided. "Terra, want to join us too?"

"Alright!" Terra exclaimed.

"Well, I guess that leaves me and Sir Gau." Cyan said, and rested his hand on Gau's shoulder. "Quite excellent! I shall see how much of a warrior you really are!"

"Uwaaoooo..." Gau moaned. "Me hungry..."

"We can all eat after the battle!" Terra assured him. "We'll have a feast together!"

"Feast, feast, Gau fight for feast!" Gau cheered, jumping up and down.

"Well, with our objective in mind, lets prepare for battle." Locke said half-jokingly. "It's going to be a really long night..."

**********

The team of Returners all strapped on Narshe's finest armor they had to offer and were all furnished with new weapons from the shops for free. Terra, Edgar, and Cyan all received shining new blades, Locke got a new dagger, Sabin was equipped with a special pair of knuckles with claws at each end, and Celes sheathed her runic blade temporarily for a metal-laced whip. Gau insisted that he needed no weapon...his own powers would be revealed shortly, it seemed.

However, there was no time to gather winter clothing for the cold weather outside, so after equipping themselves, the team left the Elder's house to march up the hill to the esper. The winds were cold and seemed to bite at everyone's skin, and snow was beginning to blow down in furious flurries. Edgar seemed to be the only one who was somewhat content in his heavy layered royal garb. He looked back for a moment and saw Celes walking along, clasping each side of her cape with her hands to keep it pulled over her shoulders and arms. She was staring down at the ground, watching each footstep her boots made in the snow. Edgar grinned to himself. She was quite gorgeous, just like Terra! How lucky he was that all of the female Returners were total babes! He then remembered Locke though, and thought for a moment. It was time for him to find out something.

Edgar stopped walking for a moment and waited for Celes to catch up with him. When she finally reached him, instead of looking up to him to see what he wanted, she merely continued on. Edgar sighed exasperatedly and fell into step beside her. Finally, Celes looked up from her shoes and narrowed her eyes at Edgar.

"Yes?" She asked. Edgar smiled innocently.

"You know...Locke has a complicated past..." He began, and Celes raised her eyebrows. "...I...uh...wouldn't want to think he's fallen for you or something!" Celes looked confused for a moment, but that was soon replaced with an icy smirk that sent chills down Edgar's spine.

"And what do you mean by that?" She asked coolly. "I am a soldier, not some love-starved twit." Edgar blinked and got a little angry. So she didn't care about Locke after all, it seemed. Edgar could only pray that his suspicions regarding Locke's feelings were wrong as well.

"Cold as ice..." He muttered, and Celes shook her head.

"I don't know why you care." She replied. "If Locke has a complicated past, that is his business. He has not shared anything with me. And if Locke has "fallen" for me...well..." Celes sighed and looked away so that Edgar couldn't see her face.

"Don't bring this up anymore." She demanded, and with that, picked up her pace and walked away. Edgar stared after her and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sheesh..."

Celes rolled her eyes and walked up to Terra, who was shivering and rubbing her arms, walking alone also. She looked back to Celes and put on a weak smile, as if the cold were nothing.

"Hello Celes." She said cheerfully.

"Hi Terra." Celes said. "So...you were a soldier for the Empire...I can't say I recognize you though..."

"I'm afraid I can't even remember you." Terra admitted. "However, I am sure that I may after I get my memories back..."

"So you have amnesia..." Celes shook her head. "And yet, you can still use your magic? How I would love to be able to forget that I could...Magic...such a lovely gift..." Celes' voice filled with bitterness and contempt.

"You can use magic too?" Terra asked.

"When I was a baby...I was artificially infused with magic and raised as a Magitek Knight." Celes replied. "I had no parents, no friends..." Terra sighed and suddenly touched her hand to Celes' cape, making Celes peer at her. Terra took a deep breath.

I am sure my past must somehow be similar to Celes'...But, even though we were both in the Empire, we are like two completely different people. If I could remember the Empire, would I be like Celes?

A new question arose in her mind, making her feel nervous.

If I get my memories back...Will I be able to feel love...? Any emotion other than fear and hate?

"....Celes...have you ever loved someone?" Terra suddenly asked, and Celes made a face, pulling away from Terra.

"What is that supposed to mean!?" She shrieked, and Terra shook her head frantically.

"Oh no, I mean, I don't think I mean it the way you think I mean it...I mean...oh dear!" Terra covered her eyes in embarrassment. "I just meant...well...have you ever...loved someone? Been in love? Something like that...?"

"...." Celes thought about it for a moment, and was about to answer, when Cyan looked back at them from further up and glared heavily. Terra didn't seem to notice, but Celes did. Cyan narrowed his eyes and mouthed silently: "Don't think for a moment that I trust you!" Celes narrowed her eyes in reply, and mouthed back: "Fine. Use your OWN eyes, and then decide..." With that, she forgot what she was going to say to Terra. Terra took the silence as a hint, and did not mention it again.

At last, the Returners reached the destined battlefield, without any more confrontations with each other.

"Where is the esper?" Terra questioned, not seeing it.

"A little further up north." Banon explained. "This is the only place we can fight that is not too tight."

"HA HA HA HA HA!"

"Kefka!" Terra cried, and peered down the hill through the falling snow which was getting heavier and heavier. There, standing at it's base, was Kefka, his capes flapping violently in the wind, surrounded by several soldiers and growling, barking dogs that were digging in the snow with their paws to try to escape their leashes.

"At last, we meet again, my Returner friends." Kefka laughed delightedly, and Terra suddenly felt so overwhelmed with the fear of his presence that she nearly collapsed in the snow. Celes marched over to Terra's side and suddenly took her in her arms, holding her up straight as she glared down at Kefka.

"You won't win Kefka!" Celes cried, and Kefka put his hands on his hips.

"Oho! It's General Celes, the traitor! So this is wear you dragged your beaten ass! You were better off where you were, my dear!"

"Never!" Celes screamed. "I won't lose to the Empire again!"

"Hee hee, this should be FUN!" Kefka squealed, and pointed towards the Returners. "Go, get them! The esper should be around here somewhere! Bring it to me immediately...our Emperor is waiting! MWA HA HA HA HA!"

With that, the soldiers released their hold on the dogs, and they bolted straight up the paths on the hill towards the group. The soldiers began to follow them, and Kefka remained at the base of the hill, waiting.

"Come on guys!" Locke cried. "Lets fight them off before they get up here!"

"For the Returners!" Edgar exclaimed, and Terra turned to Celes.

"Thanks..." Terra said tiredly, and Celes shook her head.

"Go down and fight with your team." Celes said. "You can't be afraid." With that, Celes ran down the hill, and Locke scrambled after her. Terra sighed and drew sword as Edgar and Sabin came over to her.

"Ready?" Edgar asked, and Terra nodded.

"Look out!" Sabin cried, and a giant Ralph (which resembled a large bulldog that was plated in metal, by the way) suddenly took a leap at the team. Terra screamed and thrust out her hands.

"FIRA!"

With that, streams of flame shot from Terra's hands and struck the Ralph down in midair. It howled in agony and collapsed to the ground, where it disappeared. Terra let out a sigh of relief, not giving herself any time to celebrate the learning of the new spell. She charged down the left path of the hill, and Sabin and Edgar ran after her. They encountered a few more Ralphs and Dobermans, which didn't put up much of a fight as Terra fried each one. Meanwhile, Cyan and Gau were taking on their own pack of creatures. Cyan found that his blade worked very inefficiently against their metal bodies though, and he became exhausted after wiping out only 2 Ralphs.

"Sir Gau, what are we to do!?" Cyan huffed as another pair started to run towards them.

"Gau know!" Gau exclaimed, and with that, took a flying leap on top of one of the Ralphs, riding it's back. Cyan cried out and drew his blade once more.

"Sir Gau, what a foolish plan!" Cyan said worriedly. "It will throw you off!"

But to Cyan's surprise, the Ralph, instead of charging and bucking it's body to throw off Gau, stopped as if paralyzed. When Gau jumped off of it, it flopped over in the snow silently, dead. As it disappeared, it's partner began to make it's advances on the party. Cyan widened his eyes on the unharmed Gau.

"What did you do!?" Cyan cried, and Gau suddenly let out a loud growl, not replying, and dived onto the other Ralph. He began pounding against it with such strength that the armored plates that made up it's skin began to bend inwards and dent horribly. Cyan took this chance and slashed his blade down the Ralph's side, cutting it open with the mortal blow. The dog disappeared moments later to join it's partner. With that, Gau blinked and began to dance excitedly.

"We win!"

"Sir Gau!" Cyan cried. "What ever possessed thou to release such strength?"

"Gau borrow strength from first Ralph!" Gau exclaimed, and Cyan blinked confusedly.

"Gau use special attack "Leap"!" Gau tried to explain. "Gau absorb monster ability and use it as his own! Beat enemy fast! Gau no hear Cyan while leaping though. Gau can't help that. Gau say sorry in advance."

"Hmm...I see..." Cyan nodded and stroked his mustache. "You can use a monster's abilities against itself in battle...but in exchange you go berserk and sacrifice your free mind. What an incredible power you have!"

"Uwaaoooo!" Gau cheered, happy that Cyan somewhat approved of his abilities. "Cyan come! Many more monster to beat!"

"Crack!"

"Ahhh!"

Celes yanked back her whip as the soldier she struck with it collapsed to the ground, knocked out. Locke finished off another soldier that he was fighting, thrusting his dagger into his stomach and pulling it out roughly as the soldier screamed for the Gods to take him away from it all. He fell to the ground also, on top of his partner.

"Whew..." Locke panted, and wiped away the blood trailing down his forehead.

"Did he get you?" Celes asked.

"Only a bit." Locke admitted. "But I haven't seen anyone lay a hand on you yet."

"Just be quiet and hold still." Celes sighed, and used a Cure spell to recover Locke's stamina so that his cut would heal faster.

"Thanks." Locke smiled warmly. In reply, Celes narrowed her eyes at him and suddenly raised her whip high above her head to strike!

"!? Celes!" Locke screamed. "What are you doing---"

"Locke, duck!" Celes cried, and Locke didn't waste any time doing that as Celes took a leap and struck down an Imperial Soldier trying to sneak up on Locke from behind with a poised blade. The soldier grunted and fell, defeated, and Locke looked behind him, his heart about to leap out of his chest from the mixture of shock and relief.

"...Thanks!" He said, and pulled himself back up, but Celes glared at him.

"...You thought I was going to hit you." She stated firmly, and Locke couldn't mask the truth in his eyes.

"Well, uh, you did make me kinda nervous..." Locke began, and Celes put her hands on her hips.

"You don't trust me after all?"

Locke shook his head quickly and looked up into her eyes so that she knew he was telling the truth.

"No, I DO trust you Celes. It's just that..."

"Forget it." Celes said, and began to walk on ahead. Their path was now clear of monsters and soldiers, and Celes could see everyone else finishing off the last of the enemies on their paths as well. She sighed when she looked up ahead and saw Kefka standing with his back to the battle scene.

"Celes wait up." Locke demanded as he walked towards her, but suddenly, there was a final clash of swords, and the last soldier Kefka had fell. Locke and Celes looked over, and saw that Cyan had just finished him off. Kefka suddenly twitched, as if anticipating this, and slowly turned around. The silence around the hill was only interrupted by the shrill whistling of the wind every few minutes or so. When Kefka turned around fully, he opened his eyes, and scanned them along the battlefield. However, when he saw that it was the Returners standing, and not his troops, he instantly turned red and began to jump up and down, screaming.

"He's throwing a fit!" Terra cried nervously.

"ARG!" Kefka howled. "This is ri-god-damn-diculous!!!!!!! How dare you oppose the Empire!? How dare you oppose ME!?! This is the end for you! Say your prayers!" With that, Kefka pointed a finger toward the group and shouted: "Confuse!"

"Runic!" Celes cried, and managed to absorb the spell just before it struck all of the Returners and reduced them to a puppet state with Kefka pulling the strings. She fell to her knees and took in a deep breath, trying to recover from the large spell absorption as quickly as she could manage. Terra swallowed her fear and looked to Kefka, who was smiling like a maniac.

"KEFKA!" She suddenly screamed, and ran after him. Kefka turned and looked to Terra at the wrong moment--she took a leap and dove on top of him, throwing him to the ground, feathers from his many hairpieces flying everywhere.

"Terra!" Locke cried.

"Go to her before she does anything stupid!" Celes moaned. Locke nodded and ran over to Terra, who was struggling to pin Kefka to the ground. Edgar and Sabin followed, while Gau and Cyan remained behind just in case.

"Why did you do it!?" Terra cried as Locke approached her. "Why did you take my memory away? Why are you making others suffer so?"

"WHY!?" Kefka could only laugh for the first few moments of his reply. "Oh my dear, you couldn't even begin to comprehend WHY....It is far beyond any knowledge you might have of anything...The little that you have, that is! HA HA HA HA HA!" With that, Kefka grunted and blasted Terra off of him with a Fire spell. She cried out as she flew backwards and landed in a pile of snow, non-moving.

"You bastard!" Locke growled.

"What are your true intentions, Kefka?" Edgar demanded.

"My true intentions? You have no use of those." Kefka snapped, standing up. "It is the Empire you have to worry about for now."

"What do you mean by that...?" Sabin questioned softly, and Kefka smirked.

"If he will not reply, then finish him off!" Edgar demanded, and with that, shot at Kefka with his auto-crossbow. However, each of the steel arrows struck at a yellow barrier that appeared around Kefka, and fell to the ground. He laughed manically as Edgar gasped and dropped the crossbow in surprise.

"A-A-barrier!?" Locke cried.

"It's a simple magic trick." Kefka smirked. "Let me show you! Thundara!" Kefka raised his hands in the air, and 5 lightning bolts struck from the dark sky, striking Locke, Edgar, Sabin, Cyan, and Gau. They all cried out in unison and collapsed to the ground. Locke moaned and tried to push himself up, but it was like his body couldn't comprehend his mind's demands, and he did not move.

"Gau no move!" Gau cried shrilly.

"My body feels as if it's gone numb!" Cyan whimpered.

"I've paralyzed you all so that you will stay for my last trick I'm going to show you." Kefka smirked. "I'm still touching up on it a bit, but I'm sure that either way, the results will be beautifully devastating!!! Hee hee!" Kefka got in his spell-casting stance once more, and Locke struggled to get up again, tears forming at the corners of his eyes in frustration. He couldn't let it end here...

"Fira!"

"Blizzara!"

Suddenly, two beams of sparkling red and blue light shot at Kefka from behind where Locke, Edgar, and Sabin were lying. Both collided into him at once and caused a fantastic blinding white explosion, making Locke and the others close their eyes. Kefka let out a shriek, and all of a sudden, the feeling rushed back into the fallen Returner's legs and arms. Locke blinked and stood up, looking himself over. He was a little damp from the snow, but otherwise unharmed!

"You guys, I can move again!" Locke exclaimed. The smoke around Kefka's form had not yet begun to clear. Edgar and Sabin both looked at each other and stood up, confused. Cyan and Gau also got up, and looked around.

"Where's Terra and Celes!?" Cyan cried. "They're gone..."

"Right here!" A pair of voices exclaimed. Everyone turned and saw Terra and Celes materialize out of thin air behind Locke, Sabin, and Edgar. Locke blinked and nearly fell back over.

"Whoa!" Edgar cried. "Where did you come from?!"

"It's a spell Celes just taught me." Terra explained. "An invisibility spell, to be exact."

"We're sorry you had to wait to so long, but I had to wake Terra up." Celes said. "And..."

"Erg....." A soft moan suddenly emitted from Kefka's lips. The Returners turned around all stared as Kefka pulled himself up from the snow. Water was dripping from his hair and headpieces, flame had scorched his robes in several places, and ice clung to them in others. A small trickle of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth. His tongue then slowly slipped out between his lips and licked at it, making him break into a smile.

"Kefka..." Terra trailed off, and pushed past the others to face him.

"Don't think you've won!" Kefka smirked. "I won't forget this..." With that, Kefka violently pulled his tattered cloak over his face and body. Seconds later, he disappeared.

"No!" Terra cried. "COME BACK!"

"It's no use." Edgar said, and shook his head. "But...at least the esper is safe..."

"No, its not!" Sabin cried. "We won't know it is safe until we see it for ourselves! Lets hurry, incase Kefka tried to teleport up to it!"

With that, the Returners ran back up the hill and shouted to Banon that they were going to see the esper. Banon told them he was going to return to Arvis' house and share the news that the Empire had been driven out of Narshe.

"I feel as if I have been here before." Terra told Locke and Edgar as they began to reach more stable and elevated ground.

"Perhaps you have." Locke replied. "Maybe you'll remember something!"

The Returners soon found themselves on a high cliff that looked out right over Narshe. Below, the dim lights of the town stood out like fireflies, as the sky was very dark and there was no moon. Terra narrowed her eyes so that she could see better, and led the group until she spotted something glittering at the edge of the cliff a few feet ahead of her. She gasped.

"This is it!" She cried, and pointed. "The esper!"

The esper was still as she had found it the first time, although she didn't remember that particular detail. The ice that incased it was no thinner, but it was glittering with an eerie light that was all of it's own.

I have seen this before... Terra thought to herself. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the esper that we had been fighting to protect this whole time... I can see it's eyes through the ice...shining....is it alive?!

"Is it still alive?" Cyan asked right then, as if reading Terra's thoughts.

"Impossible...right?!" Sabin replied nervously.

Terra shrugged and began to approach it, very slowly so that she didn't frighten it.

"Terra, come back here." Edgar said. "Or do you see something?"

No, I hear something...It wants me to come nearer...it just asked me to. Didn't Edgar or the others hear it...?

"Terra!" Sabin cried. "Wait!"

Wait? Sabin, I can't wait...

"Terra!!!!!" Celes cried, and reached out to grab Terra by the arm. However, when she did, sparks flew, and Celes screamed, pulling her hand back. Terra had begun to glow with a pale blue light...the same the esper was emitting!

Celes?! Oh no, why can't I stop my legs!? It's as if they are being driven by another force...I can't stop! The esper...I can't look away from it's eyes!

"NOOOO!" Terra suddenly screamed.

"Terra, what is it!?" Locke asked worriedly. Right then, a deep growl came from the frozen esper, and a white and blue bolt of electricity shot out from the ice, striking the ground. The force was so tremendous that it threw everyone to the ground, except for Terra, who had finally stopped a few feet in front of the esper. Locke struggled to pull himself closer to Terra, for he was near the edge of the cliff.

"Terra 'n the esper..." Sabin moaned.

"There's some kinda reaction!?" Edgar finished.

With that, another bolt of light shot out from the esper, this time striking Terra right in the head. Although Terra was not effected at all, the ground shook again violently, and Locke was thrown off the side of the cliff!

"AHHH!" Locke screamed, but suddenly felt strong hands grasp his own. When he looked up, he saw Celes staring down at him worriedly, her hands locked with his. The ground began to shake with more and more tremors as she struggled to pull him back onto the cliff.

"What!?" Terra cried, seemingly at the esper. "What am I feeling...? What's going on....? Please! Tell me! WHO AM I!? WHO!?!"

"Terra!" Locke cried as he swung his second leg back on the cliff surface, now no longer hanging from it.

"The esper..." Celes closed her eyes for a moment. "I can feel it...I can actually feel it's mind..."

"Feel it's mind!?" Cyan demanded.

"I have esper cells within my body because of my magic." Celes explained. "They are apparently reacting to the esper's light."

"Then what is going to happen to Terra!?" Edgar cried. "Terra! Please, if you can hear me...Step away from the esper!!!"

But it was too late.

The sky filled with more and more beams of the esper's white light. As they descended down to the cliff, they began to circulate into a blur around Terra's body. The hair in her ponytail flew up straight from the violent wind that was emitted by the light, blowing back everyone's hair who was watching the spectacle. All the Returners were forced to close their eyes as the light got brighter and brighter and swallowed up Terra more and more. Moments later, she was completely enveloped within it, and the esper suddenly stopped shining.

Silence befell the cliffside.

Celes moaned and brought a hand to her forehead, which was pounding with pain. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and looked about her surroundings. Locke had passed out in her lap, probably from the shock of the esper's light and almost falling off the cliff. Edgar was slowly struggling to sit up and regain his senses, and Gau was whimpering in fright. Everyone else seemed to be out of it. Celes and Edgar looked at each other.

"What happened?" Edgar asked.

"I do not know." Celes replied, and bit her lip. She looked back down at Locke and then up to the point of the cliff where Terra had been with the esper. However, what she saw made her blood run cold. She would have screamed if her voice had not been caught within her throat. She knew Edgar had seen it too from his surprised gasp.

There, standing in Terra's place, was a figure about her same size and body structure. However, this thing was covered in a soft white light and had skin the color of powder. It's long, somewhat spiky hair was also the same color as it's skin, and it's eyes glowed with a ruby red gleam. What surprised Edgar and Celes the most though was that it was wearing the same pendant Terra had always worn...a golden chain with a garnet stone.

"...Terra?" Edgar asked cautiously. At the sound of that name, the creature suddenly let out an ear-piercing scream and shot upwards into the sky like a rocket. It made circles around the cliff top several times before letting out one last scream, and with a burst of light, shot away from the cliff top, away from Narshe, and into the very distant southwestern mountains, like a shooting star. The frozen esper remained, still trapped in ice, no longer glowing at all. It was as if time had been stopped by the white creature, and now it was being restored. The cold winds of Narshe picked up again and blew into the Returners, making some of the fainted ones stir. Celes pulled Locke's body closer to her and blew her bangs out of her eyes.

Terra had disappeared. No, not disappeared.

Flown away...

Chapter Fifteen - A Soul Trapped in Time, Rachel of Kohlingen

"It's pretty dark in here, Locke!"

"Yeah, but don't worry, I have a lantern right here!"

"Well of course! You are the world's best treasure hunter, hee hee!"

"I love it when you say that babe!"

"Aha, but soon you'll be known for it around the world...I bet you'll have lots of fans! Pretty young girls too, I'm sure..."

"Well, that may be...but I'm already counted for, wouldn't you think?"

"Hmmm? What do you mean by that, dear?"

".....What I mean is...Rachel...uh...Well, I want you to marry me!"

"What?! Are you serious?! Oh Locke....I will, I will marry you!"

"Ah, this is great, Rach!!! I must be the happiest man in the world right now!!!"

"Oh Locke Cole, I love you..."

"...I love you too Rachel....Cole....heh heh!"

**********

"So Locke, what are we off to find today?"

"Oh, soon you'll see! It's a surprise!"

"How wonderful!!"

"You are not gonna believe what awaits up here! Come on, it's worth a fortune!"

"Come on Locke, I'll race you across the bridge!"

"Ha, you've never been able to beat me in a race Rachel!"

*Thump....Thump...Thump...*

(Oh Gods no...please don't make me hear this again.)

".....WAIT! LOCKE, STOP! THE BRIDGE...!"

"Ahhh...!!!!"

(Why didn't she let me fall?)

"Hold on, Locke, I'm coming!"

(No....!)

"No, Rachel, you'll fa--"

"Aiiiiieeeeeee!"

*Thump*

"RACHEL!!!!!!!!"

(Oh Gods, let me wake up!)

**********

"Locke!"

"Uhhh...."

Locke moaned and slowly opened his eyes. When they finally managed to focus themselves properly, he found himself in Arvis' guest bedroom, lying in bed. He felt an unfamiliar presence on his forehead, and when he reached up, he could feel thick bandages in the place of his bandana.

"Oh man...." Locke moaned, and let his head hit the pillow again.

"Are you awake?" He suddenly heard from beside him. Startled, Locke looked a little to his left and saw Celes sitting on the end of the bed, her hands in her lap.

"Celes?" Locke said dumbly. "Oh...you're the voice that called my name...I thought you were..." He shook his head and tried to sit up, but pain shot through his body straight to his head, threatening him with more pain if he tried that again.

"You shouldn't move so fast after you've just woken up." Celes said. "You've been resting for quite a few days Locke...and whimpering the whole time. Are you in terrible pain?"

"No, I'm ok..." Locke sighed, and tried to look at her. "It was some bad dreams, is all. Thank you for finally waking me up...."

"I tried and tried ever since we came here, but I guess you couldn't hear me." Celes frowned some.

"You've been with me this whole time?"

"Well...yeah..." Celes looked away, and Locke felt his heartbeat speed up just a little. He felt embarrassed though, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Where's Terra?"

"Terra..." Celes lowered her head and stared at her lap. "She...changed into a something...and took off."

"WHAT?!" Locke cried. The last thing he had remembered was the shining light Terra and the esper had been emitting in unison before fear and fatigue had taken over his senses and put him to sleep back on the cliff.

"I'm telling the truth." Celes said coldly. "But Locke...she looked...She looked like an esper..."

"Celes, who are you talking to?" Edgar suddenly demanded as he threw open the door and walked into the bedroom. He saw Locke and suddenly brightened up, seeing that his best friend was awake again.

"Locke, are you alright?!" Edgar asked, and Locke nodded.

"Celes was right..." Edgar began, and Celes glared at him.

"Listening in on a private conversation?" She demanded, and Edgar laughed a little.

"Fear not M'lady, I won't reveal any tender moments to the rest of the Returners!" Edgar cackled, and Locke and Celes both turned red and looked away from each other.

"Good Lord..." Celes muttered between clenched teeth. Edgar sighed, turning serious again, and looked to Locke.

"Something happened to Terra...There seems to be some sort of a connection between Espers and herself."

"A connection?" Locke questioned.

"It's already been discussed between the rest of us." said Edgar. "But anyway, we need to find her. Witnesses in town saw her...screaming across the sky towards the west..."

"Let's go then!" Locke cried hurriedly. "I promised her I'd..."

"Locke..." Celes looked to him with a slight glint of worry in her eyes. "Just calm down, I'll help you up."

"Oh, thanks..." Locke looked down, and Edgar left the bedroom to tell the others the news of Locke's awakening. Celes got up off the bed and went to Locke's side, offering him a hand. He took it and very slowly swung both legs out of the bed, and then stood up shakily, still holding onto Celes.

"Come on." Celes said, and began to gently tug him towards the door, however, he stopped her.

"Wait! My bandana!" Locke cried frantically.

"It's in your pocket." Celes smiled some. "You can put it back on AFTER we check for any more bleeding."

"Oh, alright." Locke pretended to pout and then smiled. "Thanks Celes. I guess I owe you one."

"Forget it." Celes said, and smiled back. "I promised, remember?" Locke didn't say anymore as she took him out of the bedroom and into Arvis' common room. All of the Returners were pacing about frantically, and Gau was jumping from piece of furniture to piece of furniture. Edgar saw Locke and Celes enter, and gave them a short nod before looking to everyone else. Banon and Arvis were sitting on a couch. They both looked exhausted.

"Think people!" Edgar said, as he paced about the room. "The Empire STILL wants that esper!"

"And now Terra has come up missing..." Sabin shook his head. "This is very bad. I am afraid we cannot leave Narshe, because the esper and Banon needs protected."

"But we cannot leave Terra!" Cyan suddenly cried, and everyone looked at him, surprised. Cyan put his hands on his hips. "She is a former imperial soldier...but we've no choice. We MUST help recover her!"

"Gau miss Terra." Gau sniffled from on top of a grandfather clock.

"I've got it!" Edgar said. "We'll split up. Those who aren't searching for Terra will stay here and guard Narshe. Figaro Castle has the ability to shuttle us underground and under the western mountain range to the western province. Then we'll make for Kohlingen or Jidoor--They are the two closest cities. I think only about four of us should go though...any more would make us much more noticeable to the Empire."

"I'll be coming." Celes suddenly spoke up. "I am positive you will need magic to get you though some of the western regions. There are dangerous monsters there."

"I'm coming too." Locke interjected immediately. "I've gotta protect Terra and Celes..."

"You should stay in bed." Celes snapped. "Terra will be fine with me!"

"I'm coming." Locke said firmly, and Celes gave up, turning her back to him.

"If we are going through Figaro, I would like to come as well." Sabin said, and stood up. "I know this isn't exactly the appropriate time for any reunions...but I would like to visit home for a while. It's been years."

"Then I will join you, brother." Edgar said. "Unless you wanted to go, Cyan or Gau."

"Gau want to stay and protect esper!" Gau exclaimed. "Big job!"

"I will watch over Sir Gau and the esper as well." Cyan said. "Please, by all means, leave your worries here with us and go seek out Lady Terra."

"Thank you, guys." Sabin said, and looked up at Gau on the grandfather clock. "Now, you be sure to behave yourself Gau! Don't cause any trouble!"

"Gau be good for Mr. Thou!" Gau exclaimed happily, and Sabin turned red.

"Why you little...!"

"Oh-ho-ho, I am sure we will get along fine here." Arvis said, and smiled at Gau. "I shall prepare for you a breakfast fit for the warrior you are!"

"BREAKFAST!" Gau squealed, and nearly fell off the clock.

"I am afraid we will have to make hasty farewells." Edgar said. "Take care, everyone."

"Yes, if you run into any trouble, come back to Narshe!" Banon cried.

"We'll be waiting here." Cyan offered.

"We'll be fine." Celes said, and Arvis smiled at her.

"Make sure you take care of our little thief!" He chuckled, and Locke growled.

"Hey, that's Treasure---"

"We will!" Sabin laughed. "Come on guys, lets head for Figaro!! We're gonna find Terra for sure!"

With that, the newly formed team consisting of Locke, Edgar, Sabin, and Celes departed Arvis' house and made their way out of Narshe and south to Figaro castle. They reached it in no time, around noon to be exact, and as soon as they reached the steps, Sabin began to jump up and down excitedly.

"Oh man oh man oh man!" He yelled, and the guard at the castle entrance made a face.

"King Edgar, I graciously welcome you home, but I'm afraid your choices for company become more and more radical each time you bring someone new to the palace." The guard said.

"But good sir, it is my brother Sabin who has returned to us at long last!" Edgar exclaimed, and the guard gasped as he looked Sabin up and down.

"Prince Sabin, you ARE home!" He cried happily, and bowed. "Everyone has missed you so! It's been...how many years??"

"Ten, I believe!" Sabin exclaimed.

"Ten years...Prince Sabin, you've grown up quite a bit."

"I know, I know." Sabin grinned, and looked around more. "Sheesh...this is like old times...I'm gonna have to wander around for a while!"

"Sure, brother!" Edgar smiled. "I'll go and have the Chancellor prepare us all some lunch...Locke, you know where the engine room is, right?"

"Of course." Locke nodded.

"Ok, you can go down there and inform Lucas that we need to make way for the west. Just tell him I sent you if he asks!" Edgar turned to Celes and smiled sweetly. "You, my dear, may do whatever you please. Make yourself comfortable! Oh, just so you know, you can find me in my own quarters, which is..."

"Thank you Edgar." Celes said quickly, and the guard chuckled.

"Be careful of our king's wily ways, M'lady." He said, and Celes smirked some.

"Don't worry, I am not that quite easily charmed." She said, and Edgar pouted.

"At least Terra pretended she liked it." He argued.

"No she didn't!" Locke protested, and they all had a good laugh at that, as if Terra were already with them again. Locke smiled and waved good-bye as Sabin took off for some exploring. There was nothing to be melancholy about today! It was a beautiful summer day, the sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Locke was 100% positive that they would find Terra too! Today, the world didn't seem like such a large and dangerous place. He had even begun to forget about that awful nightmare...

"Locke." Celes said, bursting his thought bubble.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Lets go tell this Lucas guy about getting us to the western province." Celes said. "I want to get there as soon as possible!"

"Heh heh, why?" Locke asked as he began to lead her inside the palace.

"I don't know." Celes replied thoughtfully. "Maybe it's because I've never been there before!"

"You haven't? A seasoned warrior like you?" Locke joked.

"I've never traveled because I wanted to." Celes said, with a tone of sadness in her voice. "It was never like that for me."

"....But you want to now, right?" Locke asked, and Celes smiled happily.

"Oh yes, very much so!"

She's got Rachel's sense of adventure...

Ugh, Locke, don't think about that now.

Finally, Locke went down the flight of stairs that led to the Figaro engine room, and met up with the old, white-haired engineer that worked down there, Lucas. Locke had known him ever since he had first met Edgar, which had been a while ago. Lucas looked up from some sort of book he was reading, and waved. Locke noticed his robes were spotted with oil in various places today.

"Locke Cole, it's been a while!" Lucas exclaimed. "I can assume King Edgar has arrived home with you?"

"Yes, both the King and his brother have returned." said Locke, and Lucas widened his eyes.

"Prince Sabin?! Goodness, I must greet him soon!"

"He'd like that." Locke smiled and leaned against the wall. "At any rate Lucas, we want to depart for the western province shortly." Lucas frowned some and wiped his hands, which were also oily, on the front of his robes.

"I'm afraid we are having some engine troubles right now, actually." Lucas said, and nodded his head towards the steep stairway that was behind him. "I'm afraid we won't be able to depart until tomorrow morning, at the earliest."

"Oh...well can we help?" Locke asked, and proceeded towards the stairs.

"Oh no sir, it's dangerous down there!" Lucas cried, and Celes raised her eyebrows. "Please, it's best that you stay up here and leave the work to the professionals. Please tell his highness I am sorry for the trouble."

"Alright." Locke said, and waved. "See you tomorrow morning then!"

"Good bye!" Lucas said, and Locke and Celes left the room. After climbing all of the steps, Celes continued to walk on ahead of Locke.

"Hey, where are you going?" Locke asked, and Celes turned around.

"I'm just going to explore on my own for a little bit." Celes said slowly, making Locke actually stop and try to analyze her tone.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Celes asked, and put on her trademark glare.

"Oh, uh, nothing!" Locke said, and laughed a little. "I'm just really tired."

"Oooook...see you at lunch then." Celes said, and with that, made her exit. Locke leaned back against the wall and tried to act as if he hadn't of just been ditched by his entire group. One of the Figaro maids walked through right then, and gave Locke a flirtatious wave as she passed by. Locke coolly waved back and grinned, proud of himself. The maid suddenly stopped and smiled, flashing her bright white teeth.

"You're a friend of Edgar's, aren't you?" She asked in a squeaky voice.

"Yep!" Locke replied, and was about to go on, when the maid interrupted him.

"Now hold on...lets see if my memory serves me well...you're....you're that thief....Cole, was it? Locke Cole?!" Locke blinked and felt as if he were about to snap.

"I'm right!" The girl exclaimed happily. "So Locke, what happened to all your friends? Did they catch you picking their pockets?? Tee-hee! Just joking, of course..." Locke balled his hands into fists at his side and turned scarlet.

"THAT'S TREASURE HUNTER!!!!!!!"

**********

"Hmm...so no leaving until tomorrow morning, eh?" Edgar questioned over a steaming bowl of his favorite lunch dish-- cactuar drop soup.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so." Locke said, taking another spoonful of his own. "Engine complications."

"Well, it won't pose a terrible problem!" Edgar exclaimed. "We'll just have to spend the night! There's plenty of room for everyone! I'll have bedrooms fixed up for everyone by tonight."

"Actually Edgar, you don't need to for me." Celes said quickly.

"Why not?" Edgar blinked. "Are you one of those people who can't sleep alone? In that case..." He grinned and Celes made a disgusted face.

"As a matter of fact, I just didn't want you to go through the trouble, because I would much rather just stay in your Inn tonight." She replied icily. Edgar blushed a little and laughed nervously.

"Well, if that's how you want it, then that's what you'll get!" Edgar said.

"I'm thinking about sleeping under the stars tonight." Locke added thoughtfully. "You wouldn't mind, right Edgar?"

"Nah, just grab a tent from somewhere and have at it!" Edgar smiled, and then leaned over the table to speak in Locke's ear. "Something...on your mind?"

"The usual..." Locke sighed, and looked down into his soup. His wavering reflection stared back at him, and Locke was not surprised at how depressed he looked at that moment. Since he had been left alone, he had gotten to thinking about Rachel again. All of his positive energy depleted away to empty nothingness. Now he was glad they didn't have to go to Kohlingen until tomorrow. He couldn't imagine what he might find there...He wondered if anything had changed since...

"Cheer up Locke." Sabin spoke up, and Locke looked up to him.

Oh yeah...the only person who knows about Rachel is Edgar...

"You're worried about Terra, aren't ya?" Sabin asked, and Locke put on a small smile and nodded, hating to lie to his friend.

"She's probably trying to find us right now!" Sabin said, trying to be somewhat encouraging.

"....Right!" Locke smiled more. "I know you've got to be right Sabin...thanks." Right then, Celes let out a soft sigh and pushed back her soup bowl, still half full.

"I'm not hungry anymore." She said, and stood up. "Thank you for lunch Edgar, but I'm afraid I'm going to be retiring for the day."

"But it's only the afternoon!" protested Edgar.

"I'm tired." Celes snapped, and with that, left the dining room as fast as she could manage without running into any furniture. The guys looked to the doorway for a moment, expecting her to come back, but indeed she did not.

"What's wrong with her?" Sabin asked as he slurped down some soup.

"I don't know, maybe she really is tired." Locke suggested. "We've all had a hard past few days. She's probably worried about Terra too. I don't think she would admit it though."

"Oh...maybe." Edgar said.

"What?" Locke demanded, beginning to feel a little edgy himself now.

"I don't know." Edgar replied quickly. "Uhhh..."

"Are you suspicious of her too, Edgar?" Locke asked, and Edgar turned red.

"Well, uhhh...Not as badly as Cyan..." Locke made a face at that and turned to Sabin for help.

"She does act odd." Sabin pointed out gently.

"She doesn't know any of us." Locke retaliated. "Unless someone else said something to her. She wasn't as shy when she was just with me."

"Locke...I might of told her not to try to get involved with you." Edgar suddenly admitted. Locke blinked and looked at Edgar strangely.

"What did you tell her?"

"Uhh...I just said you had a complicated past and stuff...uhhh."

"EDGAR!" Locke cried, and stood up. "Why do you have to go around and tell people that stuff??? I mean, Rachel, everything, its ALL IN THE PAST!"

"You don't act like it is!" Edgar cried back, and stood up also. "I was trying to protect you, Locke! I didn't want you to get hurt again!" Sabin looked away for a moment, and took a deep breath. He didn't know what this was about, but...

"Edgar, Locke!" Sabin began, but was cut off by Locke's storming out of the dining room in a rage, slamming the door behind him. Edgar moaned and sunk back in his chair.

"I had good intentions, brother." Edgar began, and Sabin nodded.

"I understand." He said. "These are trying times for all of us right now. I'm sure this will all be over soon though."

"I hope so..." Edgar sighed and looked up at the beautifully painted ceiling that had been done decades ago, when the Figaro family had first built the castle and began to gain control over the desert realm. It was a mural of what looked like hundreds of warriors battling across the desert with all sorts of different monsters, some Edgar had really seen and some he believed to be imaginary, like the great dragons that were in the mural. There were even a few Moogles flying about in the sky, aiding the warriors on their side.

"The War of the Magi..." Sabin trailed off, looking up at the ceiling as well.

"Supposedly." Edgar corrected, and smiled. "I'm sure it was not nearly as magnificent as that painting makes it out to be."

"Hee hee, me too." Sabin said, and let out a small chuckle.

**********

That evening, Sabin found that he couldn't sleep very well. Although it felt wonderfully welcoming to be back in his old bedroom and old bed again, Sabin also couldn't help but remember about the last night he had spent in that bed, when he was 17. He remembered how that night, he had been thinking about what to get his father for his birthday, which had been approaching rapidly. He had no idea what would end up unfolding the next night...

"I think I need a drink." Sabin muttered to himself, and crawled out of bed, making his way to the throne room, where he had remembered abandoning a water bottle of his from earlier in the day. The entire palace was dark, and for once, quiet. The only people Sabin saw on his way to the throne room were a few guards, who all either nodded or waved to him before looking back to their posts. Sabin finally reached the throne room and pushed the giant doors open quite easily. He laughed, remembering how when he was younger he couldn't ever get them open without his father's help...now he could do it on his own with one finger!!

"There you are!" Sabin exclaimed, spotting the water bottle on the left throne. He swiftly walked over to pick it up, and took a deep swig after popping off the cork top.

"Mmmm, nothing beats Figaro's Healing Spring Water." Sabin smiled, and sat down on the throne, looking about. "Actually...the castle hasn't changed much either..." He sighed and looked down in his lap. "And yet...it's all different... Now Mom and Dad are gone...everyone is gone...ever since that day..." Sabin closed his eyes, and suddenly...he could picture that night...all over again...

"Tonight...has taken a turn for the worse..." There was hushed whispering outside the King and Queen's bedroom. Five of the world's best doctors were gathered there in the corridor, all exchanging worried glances and wiping their sweaty palms on their jackets. Was there nothing they could do? Matron, a younger woman at the time, was standing there also, wringing her hands together nervously. Her pale white hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and tumbling over her shoulders. Little did the group know, a younger Sabin had been watching them from a corner, his heart beating wildly in his chest. His father had been doing so well yesterday, they said! What had happened so quickly?!

At that moment, another doctor entered the corridor from the bedroom, a disappointed expression on his face. He immediately looked to Matron, and shook his head.

"Matron...the King...he's..."

"NO!" Sabin suddenly cried, and stumbled out of his hiding place. The doctors and Matron all gasped in surprise to see the prince, who had tears building in his eyes. He began to choke as he struggled to speak again. "Father....he can't be...DEAD!"

"Sabin!" Edgar suddenly cried, as he barreled down the corridor from his room, hearing his brother's screams. "What's wrong?!"

"Nooooooo!" Sabin howled, and with that, took off down the corridor and upstairs to the front balcony of Figaro's palace. It was dark outside...well past midnight, it seemed. The moon had been full that night...it's pale silver light was shining upon Sabin as he burst outside into the cool nighttime air, making him narrow his eyes as he sobbed harder and leaned on the balcony to catch his breath. A few moments later, Edgar emerged as well, a cloak pulled on over his pajamas to keep warm with matching slippers on his feet.

"Brother!" Sabin sniffled. "Waaah...whaaa..waaaa...." He moaned and tried to keep himself from sobbing any harder.

"So...they went and told you..." Edgar said somewhat calmly, although inside, he was screaming at just hearing the news of his father's death as well. He had to stay strong though, for his beloved little brother! At that moment, Matron arrived on the balcony too, out of breath from running so fast to keep up with the brothers.

"Edgar! Sabin! There you are." She began. "Your father...he just uttered that his last wish be that...Figaro be divided between you..." Sabin blinked away his tears and turned to Matron angrily.

"This is NONSENSE!" He screamed. "Everyone here is saying the Empire poisoned Dad...and the only thing on your minds is "Who's going to be the next King?" You're all PATHETIC!" Sabin rubbed at his eyes and heaved another sob. "No one cared when Mom passed away, either..."

"That's not true..." Matron tried, but Sabin swung his hand to silence her.

"You were as bad as any of 'em!" He sobbed.

"Sabin..." Edgar trailed off, and rested his hand on Sabin's shoulder. Sabin just sobbed louder and harder, so hard that his entire body began to shake.

"Empire of Murderers...They WON'T get away with this!" Sabin cried, and Edgar turned to Matron, who suddenly looked as if she had aged a thousand years.

"Matron...please leave us." Edgar said gently, and she nodded, leaving the balcony at once. Edgar then looked back to Sabin, who he found gazing out at the desert, which had turned a pale white from the moonlight.

"I'm outta here!" Sabin suddenly exclaimed, and Edgar blinked. "I'm forsaking this war-sick realm for my dignity and freedom! You said you were sick of it too, right?!" Edgar sighed and gazed out at the desert also.

"Freedom..." He murmured. He suddenly shook his head and turned his back to the desert. "But Sabin, what will happen to this realm if we BOTH leave...? And...what would Dad say?" Sabin blinked and turned to Edgar, who had made a good point.

"Edgar..." He began, but Edgar silenced him by reaching in his pocket and pulling out a coin. It was made of a beautiful gold, and sparkled in the moonlight. It was a common Figaro coin, just one of the many varieties of GP there were in the world. On one side was a portrait of the first King of Figaro, and the other side had a picture of the official realm's bird, the chocobo, taking a long stride across the desert.

"Sabin." He said, holding up the coin so that the head's side faced Sabin. "Let's settle this with the toss of a coin...If it's heads...you win. We'll chose whatever path in life we want, without any regrets. Okay?" Sabin didn't look like he wanted to, but he nodded in agreement.

"This is for Dad!" Edgar cried, and with that, flipped the coin up from his hand by his thumb and pointer finger. The coin did several flips in the air before landing back in Edgar's hand...

"And it was then, you opted for your freedom." Edgar suddenly said, making Sabin jump in his chair. He opened his eyes and smiled, surprised to see Edgar walking into the throne room, in his royal silk pajamas that matched Sabin's exactly. "It's been 10 years...and the little shrimp has grown into a whopping lobster!!!"

"And you're a King Crab!" Sabin chuckled, and Edgar sat in the throne beside him, laughing.

"Sabin..." Edgar's smile faded a little as he looked to his brother. "I wonder...if Dad would be proud of me today...?"

"Don't you ever doubt that!" Sabin cried. Edgar smiled in appreciation and sat back in the chair, crossing his legs.

"10 years..." He murmured, and Sabin shook his head.

"Where has the time gone..?" He replied, and took another swig of his drink. Edgar chuckled at this and pretended to hold up a goblet.

"Here's to a couple of confused grown-ups!" He exclaimed, and Sabin held up his bottle also, pretending to clink it against Edgar's goblet.

"And here's to Dad...!"

"And to Mom...and...To Figaro..."

**********

The next morning, the 4 Returners reunited in the dining room for breakfast. While Edgar and Sabin looked positively content, Locke looked as if he had had about 2 hours of sleep, and well, Celes looked like Celes.

"Everyone eat well!" Edgar exclaimed as he passed around some tender Nibbler patties for breakfast. "Because let me tell you now, Kohlingen has about as much food variety as a dry bone, and Jidoor will wring out our money pouches with just one drink! I don't know if we will get any farther then Jidoor...I mean...what else is there beyond that? Locke, do you know?"

"Wha? Oh, um..." Locke looked as if he had been in a daze. "The Jidoor Opera House...and..." He bit his lower lip in thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, Zozo!"

"Zozo?" Celes said, and made a face. "I only pray we don't have to set a foot in there."

"Thought you'd never been to these parts?" Locke questioned idly, and Celes narrowed her eyes.

"I haven't, but I've heard some pretty bad things about Zozo." She said.

"WELL anyway!" Sabin suddenly shouted, making everyone at the table jump. "I'll just go down and ask Lucas how things are coming along, eh? Make sure you hold on tight to something if we start moving all of a sudden!!" With that, Sabin jumped from his chair and ran off to talk to Lucas.

"How was your evening?" Edgar asked Locke, and Locke moaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Don't ask..."

"Celes?"

"Your maids are awfully chatty at night, Edgar."

"Oh, sorry about that...I imagine they must have been talking about how I had come home...hee hee."

"Something like that." Celes said, and tried to hold back a snicker. Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling within the dining room, the walls began to shake slightly around them, and the dishes clattered against the table.

"Ack, we're moving!" Edgar exclaimed, and held onto his own chair.

"WHOA!" Celes cried, not expecting this, and toppled out of her chair, face first.

"Celes!" Locke laughed, and reached down to help her up. She swatted at his hand angrily and shook her head, deciding it was safer to stay on the floor for now. The rumbling and shaking continued for a few more minutes after that, but when it finally stopped, Sabin came back into the room, grinning.

"Guess where we are?!" He exclaimed, and everyone, with the exception of Locke, jumped up excitedly. It took him a few moments before he finally decided to get out of his chair and stand up with the rest of the group.

"So, um, do we have to actually go to Kohlingen?" Locke questioned as they stepped out of the Figaro Palace...only to find themselves in the desert on the other side of the world. However, it was very small.

"Yes, of course." Celes said, eyeing him strangely. "We have to look for Terra everywhere...besides, people might know about her there."

"Oh, right!" Locke looked away and felt himself begin to sweat even though he wasn't warm at all.

The Returners crossed the small desert and immediately came upon a very small village, one even smaller than Narshe. It had a single main stone path running down the center, only stopping at the narrow river that flowed through the middle of the down, where a tiny bridge took it's place so that villagers could cross and go to the other side of town. Beautiful wildflower beds were scattered everywhere though, and every once in a while a group of children would pop up from them,

laughing, and then run off to hide somewhere new. Many bird songs emitted from the small grove of trees Kohlingen had too...it seemed like a very peaceful and happy place.

"So this is Kohlingen..." Celes trailed off and looked around. "It's so small...I wonder if anyone has seen her..."

"Boo!" A little girl suddenly shrieked, making the group all leap 10 feet into the air as she leapt from some flowers. Edgar laughed and messed up her hair.

"Cute!" He exclaimed, and the girl giggled.

"I'm playing ghost-lady!" She exclaimed, and Edgar blinked.

"Ghost-whaaa?"

"A ghost came into our town the other day!" The girl exclaimed. "Everyone else was frightened...but I thought she was beautiful! She had the prettiest red eyes I had ever seen..."

"Oh my Gods..." Sabin murmured to himself.

"Do you know where she went?!" Edgar cried, and the girl shook her head.

"No...she only stopped in front of me for a few seconds...then she disappeared from sight. I thought I was daydreaming at first, but it turns out other people saw her too!"

"Thanks kid!" Edgar exclaimed, and turned to the rest of the group as she ran off to play with her friends. "Terra MUST have been here!"

"No doubt." Sabin said. "But we'll have to gather a bit more information. Looks like we're hot on her trail though!"

"I wonder why Terra would come here though...?" Celes questioned thoughtfully, and turned to Locke for an answer. However...Locke was missing.

"Locke?!" Celes cried, and Sabin and Edgar turned to her, surprised that they hadn't of noticed he was gone themselves.

"Locke!" Edgar called. "Locke!!!"

"Hey, over there!" Sabin said, and pointed a little bit west of them. There was Locke, who was standing in front of a small one story house that looked very untidy and unkept. A shutter was falling off near a front window, the wood it was made of was rotting badly in several places, and chunks of the roof were missing as well. The plants and bushes in front of the house were dying,

too. Before anyone could call to him, Locke sighed deeply and pushed open the door, walking inside.

"Come on." Celes said, and grabbed Edgar and Sabin, dragging them over to the house.

"Aha, wait a moment Celes..." Edgar began, and Celes glared at him.

"What!?????!?!"

"I don't think we should just barge in there..."

"Well why would Locke just ditch us like that?" Celes demanded, and Edgar suddenly stopped, staring straight into Celes' eyes.

"...That's Rachel's house." He said flatly, and Celes suddenly felt apt to loosen the grip she had on his arm. Her face slightly flushed over as well as her heartbeat began to speed up dramatically.

"...Rachel?" She asked softly. "Who's that...?"

"...I wasn't able to save her...when she needed me..."

Celes gasped in surprise and turned around, only to see Locke take a step out of the house, his gaze fixed intently on her own. Edgar lowered his head, and Sabin raised his eyebrows in curiosity. Locke sniffled a little and turned his back on them again, facing the home. From her view of the doorway, Celes now understood that it was so unkept because...it was abandoned. There wasn't a person inside. All she could see was a falling apart bookshelf, weighed down with damp, moldy books, and the corner of a bed.

"We...had been treasure hunting...in an old cave..." Locke began. "I pressured her to go with me that day...I was just dying to show her this beautiful relic I had heard rumors about..." With that, he explained his story to the team, starting off with a condensed recollection of the nightmare he had had the other night.

**********

"Locke!" Rachel exclaimed, in her bright, cheery voice that was slightly touched with a country accent. She laughed as she struggled to climb through the entrance of the cave they were in while wearing her long, fancy green gown. "Tell me, what are we off to find today!?" She blew her purple bangs out of her eyes and grinned.

"Soon, you'll...!" Locke exclaimed, and turned to her, winking. Rachel laughed and ran to catch up to him, her footsteps echoing off the walls of the cave. Locke led her further within, carrying a small torch for light. As they were walking, Rachel happily slipped her hand in his, and he squeezed it in reply.

"You're not gonna believe what is up here!" Locke continued, to build the suspense. "Come on, it's worth a fortune!!" With that, Locke released her hand and ran ahead, thumping across a rope bridge that connected one side of the cave to the other, for there was a very deep gorge that came between the two parts. However, as Locke stepped closer and closer to the middle of the bridge, it began to shake violently, and Rachel could hear the sounds of the old ropes breaking and snapping!

"Locke! Look out!" Rachel cried, alarmed as a board from the bridge suddenly fell from underneath Locke's feet, and fell down, down, down into the gorge below. Locke couldn't even hear when the board hit the bottom. He had become totally numb and paralyzed with fear. This was it...he was going to die...

Suddenly, in a flash of purple and green, Rachel dashed out onto the bridge, and before Locke could stop her, gave him a hard shove so that he stumbled back and fell--onto the safety of land on the other side of the gorge. Rachel, however, had done the bridge in--before she could attempt to escape herself, the bridge buckled and collapsed underneath her, sending her flying to the bottom of the gorge.

"LOCKE!!!" She cried, as she fell further and further down.

"RACHEL!" Locke screamed, and with that, jumped into the gorge after her.

********** Back in Kohlingen...

Locke had recovered Rachel's body and ran as fast as he could back to Kohlingen. This was the part of his dream he had always managed to blur out because it had just been so painful...

Rachel was lying in bed, her eyes closed, as if she were sleeping peacefully. Her hair was fanned over her pillow, not concealing some of the bruises she had on her forehead and face. Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open, and Locke smiled happily, leaning in to kiss her nose gently.

"Rachel!! Oh, you're awake...I..."

"Ahhh!" Rachel cried, and jerked away, totally shocked out of the daze she had been in. Locke blinked and peered at her, hoping he had not hurt her.

"Rachel...?" he questioned, and she looked to him, slowly bringing a hand to her forehead.

"......? I...I can't remember...anything..."

********** "AND STAY OUT!"

"Ahhh!" Locke cried as a large man grabbed him by the collar and literally threw him out of Rachel's house, making him roll into the dusty path in front of the house. Locke moaned in pain and looked up, tears in his eyes that threatened to spill at any moment.

"Get the HELL outta here!" The man bellowed so loud, Locke just knew the entire village could hear. "It's your fault Rachel lost her memory!!!!" The man was Rachel's father.

"Wait!" Locke cried, and struggled to get to his feet. "She said "Yes!" We were gonna..." Suddenly, Rachel appeared behind her father, glaring hatefully at him.

"GO! I don't know who you are, but ever since you've came here, you've made my parents upset!" Rachel let out a little cry of disgust and slammed the door in Locke's face as he ran up to try to talk to her. Locke cringed, his ears ringing from the slamming door, and suddenly just gave in to himself. Sobbing softly, he leaned back against the door of the house and slowly slid down it until he had hit the ground, reaching up to hide his face with his hands. He stayed that way for a few moments until an acquaintance of his came up to him, keeping his distance but making his words loud and clear over Locke's crying.

"You'd best leave Rachel alone...she's gonna have to make a new start of everything." He said, and Locke looked up at him. His tears had made clean paths through his dirt-stained cheeks.

"Locke...I don't think your being here is gonna help..."

********** Locke sighed, and kicked at the filthy welcome mat on Rachel's steps. "I left town...a year had passed. When I returned, I learned that Rachel had perished in an Imperial attack." Celes felt her breath get caught in her throat at that particular line of Locke's story. "Rachel's memory returned just before she passed away," Locke continued sadly, "The last thing she uttered was...my name. I never should have left her side... I-I failed her."

"....." Celes bit her lip, not knowing quite what to say. Edgar, who had heard this before, could only hang his head sadly, and Sabin felt tears sting in his eyes. Everyone remained silent for the next few moments, until Locke stepped away from the house and took in a deep breath.

"Sorry you guys." He apologized. "But I didn't really want to hide it from you. It just still hurts...I think about it every once in a while, and I get depressed. Coming here didn't really help matters but..."

"But it was for Terra." Edgar noted, and Locke nodded.

"Yeah, exactly. It was for Terra. Someone else I failed..."

"That's not true!" Sabin said. "None of us could do anything about what happened, and right now, we're doing all we can to fix what's wrong. We're doing our best!"

"I suppose you're right." Locke said, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "But...before we continue on our search...there's one more thing I gotta check up on."

"Can we come?" Edgar questioned, and Locke nodded.

"Yeah...you all know about Rachel now, so I guess it doesn't matter..." With that, Locke turned, and began to lead the group to their new destination. Celes remained behind everyone else, staring down at the ground. A complicated past?? Edgar had made it sound like a joke, but...She wasn't expecting to hear anything like this. Celes felt her insides twinge with slight bitterness.

Oh Locke...Did you only rescue me to make up for your past?? Was that your true reason that you wouldn't tell me??

The Returners crossed the small river bridge and walked to a nice- sized house with a small vegetable garden out front and a small cobblestone path leading up to the door. Instead of knocking, Locke opened the door and walked right in, gesturing for the others to follow him.

"Where is this?" Sabin questioned.

"This is my house." Locke said, and everyone looked about, surprised. It was a perfectly normal home...no hordes or stashes anywhere to be seen, just a few crates that were sitting at the table in the place of chairs, and one locked chest in the corner of the room by the back door. A narrow set of stairs could also be seen.

"Where's all your stuff?" Edgar asked, and Locke laughed a little.

"Well I don't live here right now...I'm renting it out to someone. All my GOOD stuff is in Narshe, of course! It's under Arvis' care."

"Oh, I see!" Sabin exclaimed. "Clever."

"So who lives here?" Celes questioned.

"An old, old, old herbalist." Locke replied. "He uh...isn't really popular here in town...people think he's a little crazy..."

"So what is he doing at your place?" Edgar asked, raising an eyebrow. Locke sighed and leaned in, lowering his voice.

"Well....he..."

"Oh, Locke, is that you!?" A screechy voice suddenly erupted from downstairs. Locke jumped up and cut off his own conversation, running over to the stairway.

"Yeah, I'm home!" Locke called down, and the rest of the Returners looked to each other worriedly. With that, Locke pounded down the stairs, and disappeared from sight.

"Well come on!" Celes cried, and stood up to go after him. Edgar and Sabin nodded, following her down the stairs. The further Celes descended, the more she could detect some sort of a scent. It was like...roses. Soon, they had emerged into the basement of Locke's house, but Celes was shocked at what she saw.

All around the room were many, many bouquets of roses, surrounding a full-sized bed. Hanging from the rafters on the ceiling were dried bouquets of different flowers, and on the wooden shelves nailed to the walls were all sorts of different sized jars and bowls, each probably containing different flowers and herbs as well. Celes imagined that this must had been once Locke's bedroom before he moved away because of the bed. But, when she realized that someone was on it...

"Rachel..." Locke sighed, and walked over to the bed, kneeling beside it. Celes stepped in a little closer to get a better look, but Edgar and Sabin pounded ahead of her and got in her way. She grumbled angrily and crossed her arms over her chest, when suddenly a freezing cold hand grasped at her shoulder.

"YIKES!" Celes screamed, and whirled around, only to peer into the inkish, beady eyes of a short old man wearing bright red silk robes and a matching hat that flopped over his eyes. His white mustache and wild hair seemed to be going everywhere. The man suddenly burst out into hysterical laughter and scampered over to Locke, who was resting his arms and head on the bed. His eyes were locked on the person lying on it, a young woman with long, purple hair and a tan complexion, who looked to be sleeping peacefully by the smile on her face. Celes felt a chill run down her spine, and hugged herself to make it go away. What was going on?

"It's been a while!" The old man squealed, and Locke looked to him, sadness overrunning his features once more.

"Oh, her!?" The man exclaimed, and hopped up and down excitedly. "Worry not! Your treasure is quite safe! Wheee-hee-hee! Uwa-ha-ha-ha!"

"What's with this guy!?" Sabin whispered, and Edgar shook his head. The old man sensed their confusion and looked over to them, making Celes want to duck behind either Edgar or Sabin's tall forms.

"I used some herbs to put her into suspended animation!" The man exclaimed happily. "She won't age a day! Uwaaaa!" He turned to Locke and hopped up and down again. "That's what you wanted, right?! Had to use my herbs, I did!" Celes felt as if her heart had dropped into her stomach. That meant that really WAS Rachel...

"I thought Rachel had passed on..." Sabin murmured.

"Well Locke never said that..." Edgar commented lightly. "He only said he had HEARD she passed away..."

"More secrets!" Celes snapped, and suddenly raised her tone. "Locke, what is going on?!" Locke turned away from Rachel's still form and peered at Celes. He could feel more bad memories coming on...How could he explain himself?

**********

"Oh Rachel..." Locke moaned at the sight of his beloved lying there, on his bed, as if she were dead...He couldn't believe that he had found her like this right when he came back home after hearing about the Empire's attack on Kohlingen. Then he had met the old man... The old man crept up behind him and smiled evilly. Locke turned to him and gave him a suspicious glare.

"You mean those herbs have actually SAVED her...?" He demanded, and the old man nodded.

"Of course!" The old man explained. "The love of your life will sleep here like this forever! Kwa-ha-ha!!!" Locke cursed under his breath and slammed his fist on the bed.

"What if there were a way...to call her back?!" Locke cried, and the old man giggled at this, as if he were playing along with some sort of joke.

"If you could call her back...she'd come back! Kwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! But I'm sure you'll find something to bring her around!!!! Hee hee hee hee hee!!!!!"

**********

Locke lowered his head after explaining the best he could, and the man went over to a counter to search for a jar of some sort. Celes was about to say something, when she heard Locke stifle a sob in the mattress of the bed.

"I-I failed her..." Celes felt herself choke up, and Edgar gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Lets leave him be..." He whispered, but right then, Locke looked up and shook his head.

"Wait, I'm coming." He said quickly, and rubbed at his eyes so that no signs of tears were evident. "Thanks for waiting...I just had to...you know." Edgar nodded, and with that, gestured the entire group up and out of Locke's basement, including Locke himself. Once they were back upstairs and out of the house, everyone turned to each other.

"We have to check the rest of the town to get more information about Terra." Locke said firmly, although his voice still wavered a bit from crying.

"Why don't we just split up?" Edgar suggested. "Sabin, you get the travelers at the Inn. Locke, you know the neighborhood, so try going to some people's houses. Celes, you ask the kids and parents outside playing, and I'll check out the shops."

"Alright." Celes agreed.

"I'll be back!" Sabin exclaimed, and hurriedly ran off to the Inn near the front of the town's entrance.

"I'll try to learn everything I can." Locke said, and with that, departed as well. Edgar looked up to Celes, and frowned a little.

"Are you ok Celes?" He asked, and Celes nodded quickly.

"Yes...I'm just a bit surprised, is all. It all has to sink in, if you know what I mean."

"I see..." Edgar sighed a little. "Listen, I'm sorry about all this..."

"Please, say no more." Celes said firmly. "It's not Rachel I'm upset about."

"Oh?" questioned Edgar, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just worried for Locke." Celes replied, and looked back to Locke's house. Edgar noticed the aversion of her gaze and decided not to carry out the conversation any further.

"Alright...but don't let Locke know you are worried." Edgar added in quickly. "Then he'll start worrying about you and...Well, I don't know what will happen after that. I'll see you a little later." Edgar turned and walked away, heading for the nearest general store. Celes looked over to him to make sure he was out of sight, and with that, turned right back around and walked into Locke's house.

**********

Meanwhile, Sabin had entered the Inn and walked about, trying to find the commons room where he could question any of the travelers about Terra. As he walked down the long hall from the counter, he could hear soft moaning coming from one of the bedrooms.

"Oh man..." Sabin thought, and squeezed his eyes shut, not even wanting to imagine what was going on in there. But as he walked on, he realized that they were moans of pain, and stopped in front of the door. It was just one person...male, apparently, from what he could tell. The door was slightly ajar, but he didn't want to barge in on them or anything...

".....Open your eyes!! You're gonna be ok..."

"WHAT?!"

"No, I can't!!! I can't do that to you..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Sounds like a nightmare!" Sabin murmured to himself, and being the kind-natured person he was, he decided to snap them out of it before their suffering went on any further. He gently pushed open the ajar door, and let out a small gasp when he saw who was lying there on the bed.

"No way!" He cried a little louder then he intended, and suddenly, the person gasped and sat up in bed, staring straight at Sabin. Sabin gulped and nervously raised a hand in greeting, but they did not wave back...

**********

Celes pulled her cape closer over her shoulders as she went back down into the basement and looked about to see who was around. The old man was no where to be seen, although she wasn't quite sure where he could of disappeared off to so fast. She nearly jumped at the sound of her own boots clicking on the stone floor as she slowly made her way back over to the bed surrounded in roses. All of a sudden, the basement felt so cold and so...empty. Celes took a deep breath, inhaling some of the rose scent as she looked down at Rachel, Locke's fiancé.

She really was a pretty girl, in a simple and charming way. Her pink lips were parted ever so slightly, and Celes could actually hear the soft whistling of her breathing in and breathing out. Her chest, however, did not move at all, so it was very difficult for anyone who was not observing her closely enough. Her hands were folded over her stomach, but Celes found it odd that there was no rings on any of her fingers. Her cheeks even had a slight rosy glow to them...as if she really were just sleeping, and at any moment now, she would sit up, stretch, and ask Celes where her husband-to-be was so that she could kiss him good afternoon.

Finally, Celes couldn't take anymore. She bitterly wished she had not come back to get a better look at the poor girl she couldn't see very well before because of Edgar, Sabin, and Locke being in her way. She didn't know what she was hoping to actually see, but what she saw now did not make her feel any better about herself, or about anyone else or anything that was wrapped up in this tragic mess.

Why do I even care?! Celes thought, and with that, stomped away to go back up the stairs. Before reaching the last step, she turned once more to look at the sleeping Rachel, and felt as if her heart had been frozen over with one of her own Ice spells. She sighed and brought a hand to her chest, almost expecting to feel coldness emitting from where her heart was.

"Oh Locke..."

Chapter Sixteen - Ramuh, Esper God of Thunder

"So she wasn't here for any more than a few minutes?"

"No Miss...but we were awfully frightened by it...I'm certainly glad it was no longer than a few minutes."

"Did she hurt anyone?"

"Well...no...she just...was unlike anything we had ever seen...we're simple country folk, Miss...fear of the unknown, I guess you could call it..."

"Well, thanks anyway."

Celes sighed and walked away from the last mother and child pair she could find outside of their homes in the village. All of the people had told her the same thing over and over again...that the girl ghost wasn't around for very long, and that afterwards she had shot back up in the sky and headed south, towards Jidoor. She entered a small shop, and spotted Edgar, shamelessly flirting with the young woman at the counter. Celes narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well my dear, if you perhaps wanted to join me on our search..."

"Ahem, darling, what do you think you're doing?!" Celes suddenly burst out, and Edgar turned around, blushing mightily.

"Um, Celes, I..."

"Please excuse my husband!" Celes cried, and stomped over to Edgar, grabbing him by the ponytail. "He's a dirty, dirty old man!" Edgar whined in protest and squirmed in Celes' grip.

"Celes, what do you think you're doing?!?!"

"Oh, ma'am, thank you for getting him out of my hair." The young shopkeeper said, and with that, promptly turned around and left through a door behind her counter, slamming it so hard that the entire shop shook. With that, Celes dragged Edgar out of the shop, and released him once they got outside. He pretended to sniffle and reached back, gingerly trying to readjust all the hair ribbons that Celes had messed up in his ponytail.

"Celes!!" Edgar cried. "You could at least be gentle with me!"

"I was being gentle." Celes smirked, and put her hands on her hips. "Flirting with girls when we were supposed to be looking for clues about Terra! How un-heroic of you..."

"Hey, you have perfectly handsome companions to travel with!!!" Edgar replied in a high tone. "And alas, I only have you, the ice queen!!! Have some mercy!"

"Rest assured, the last thing I have on my mind is getting cozy with my "handsome companions"." Celes snapped.

"Not even Locke?" Edgar taunted, and Celes felt her cheeks turn red.

"You're a royal jackass!"

"Who's a royal what?" Locke suddenly asked from behind them, and they both gasped, whirling around to face their friend, who was trying his hardest not to laugh.

"Locke!" Celes cried. "When did you...?"

"I just got here, but I imagine I could have heard the shouting from miles away!" Locke laughed, and gently messed with the top of Celes' hair. "You look silly when you're angry, Celes. Your cheeks go red!"

"Silly indeed." Edgar snapped. "But at least you're here now, Locke! So where is my brother...?" Locke shrugged, and Celes reached up to smooth down her hair again, keeping her gaze on Locke while he and Edgar discussed what they had learned.

It's like he's normal again... She thought curiously. Like nothing happened today...What is he trying to do?

**********

"S-Shadow!" Sabin cried, and smiled happily at the sight of his friend. "Why, I never expected to find you here, in a place like this!" The ninja, still clad in dark clothes, and still even wearing his black mask, slowly stretched and crawled out of bed before replying to Sabin.

"Well...my travels take me to the oddest of scenarios." Shadow said coolly, and looked to Sabin. "But what are you doing here, when you are supposed to be in Narshe?"

"Well, I did finally make it to Narshe...and Cyan did as well!" Sabin exclaimed. "But it's a long story..."

"I have time to listen." Shadow said, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, alright!" Sabin said, and sighed. "Well, we got to Narshe, and I met up with all of my friends, and then some others who had joined us...Gau, a young boy, and Celes Chere, a girl that my friend Locke had met. At that point, we all united together to drive Kefka and his troops out of town...and it worked! But when we went to see the Esper that we were trying to protect, my friend

Terra had this...reaction with it, and sort of...disappeared." Sabin nodded to confirm his words. "So now, we're searching for Terra..."

"I see." Shadow said. "So the Empire is still at it, I assume?"

"We have no doubt." Sabin replied. "Cyan and Gau remained behind in Narshe to protect the Esper with our leader, Banon, and my brother, Locke, Celes, and I went on our search for Terra. The townspeople here said she went further south...how she could travel so far in so few of hours is beyond me but...we are determined to find her!"

"Friendship..." Shadow sighed some, and turned to look out of the small window that was in his room. "That is what is driving you to save her, isn't it?" Sabin nodded, although he knew Shadow couldn't see him.

"Friendship is what has gotten us this far." He said. "I barely know Terra...and yet, her kindness and gentleness is what compels me to believe that she did not rightfully deserve to be a victim of the Empire like she was. They brainwashed her and used her as a soldier because of her natural magic abilities...when she finally broke from their control, she had lost all her memories, and had lost anyone that could have protected her."

"And what of these other characters you mentioned?" Shadow asked, with his back still to Sabin.

"Well, Edgar is my brother, who has been fighting the Empire in secret for many years." Sabin explained. "We have also been separated for just as long, and now we have decided to combine our strengths to fight together. Locke is a friend of Edgar's...he helped rescue Terra after the Empire tried to attack her and take her back. The Empire has a lot to do with some pretty bitter events of his past. Celes is an ex-general of the Empire, who was almost put to death for supposed treason, but Locke got to her just in time too and convinced her to join us. And Gau...well, no one really knows much about the kid, but I think his father abandoned him at a young age, and he harbors incredible powers from living with monsters on the Veldt for his entire life. And then of course, there is Cyan, whom you already know." Shadow considered all these details for a moment and then shook his head sadly.

"You think that you seven can really defeat the Empire, and discover why magic has been brought back into existence?"

"You know about magic!?" Sabin cried, and Shadow nodded.

"The Empire has made it known to many villages that they will not put up with resistance." He said. "It's becoming known that there is more to Magitek Armor than just machinery and a pilot. Its energy has to come from somewhere...and it's the same energy that the Empire's own Generals can wield. And can't Gestahl, the Empire's leader, use it as well?"

"I have never seen or met Gestahl." Sabin confessed. "We know little about him. But we do know that General Leo can't use magic, and he is one of the Empire's finest warriors!"

"I remember Leo." Shadow replied thoughtfully. "He was a good man. But this Celes...she is the same General Celes of the Empire?"

"Yes, and from what I've seen, she isn't such a terrible person either." Sabin said. "She has a good heart, and a strong will. You don't think that having two magic casters on our side will be enough to finish off Kefka and Gestahl?"

"Of course not." Shadow said. "Kefka is not humanistic what so ever. He is a frightful clown of nightmares. You don't think you'll be able to persuade him to join the Returners, now do you?" Sabin's lack of reply made Shadow assume that as a no. "You see...getting Terra and Celes on your side was luck. It will take so much more than that to overthrow the Empire."

"Some people might call it fate rather than luck." Sabin said gently, and Shadow snickered some.

"If you let fate carry things out, we will get nowhere, Sabin Figaro!" "We?" Sabin questioned carefully.

"I've decided I'll join you for a bit longer." Shadow decided. "I want to meet this Terra and ask her what she knows about the Empire."

"But she has amne--"

"I won't worry about that for now." Shadow said, and suddenly held out his hand. "But my help is gonna cost ya."

"Cost me?!" Sabin cried. "How so?"

"Interceptor has got to eat too!" Shadow grinned. "So...you think 2000 GP is plenty?"

"2000GP!?" Sabin nearly fell over. "Does it look like I am made of money?!"

"No...but I hear your brother is the ever rich King Edgar Figaro..."

**********

"And....to make a long story short, Shadow basically helped me and Cyan to get back to Narshe, and, well, here he is now!" Sabin pointed to Shadow, who was staring at the small Returner group outside of the inn.

"Ehh..." Locke tilted his head a little and stared at the ninja. All he could think to himself was: Oh my Gods, this is the guy from South Figaro...the one who would slit his momma's throat for a GP! EEEEEP!

"Hmmph." Celes grunted, and tried to size him up with her glare.

"Oh brother..." Edgar sighed. "And the people at the palace complain of me hanging around the strange type...Sabin, do you know WHO this is?"

"Do YOU know who I am?" Shadow interrupted.

"I damn well do!" Edgar snapped. "I've heard about you, and I saw you in South Figaro! You're a...well...umm..." Edgar didn't quite know what to say, being that he had indeed heard of Shadow, but could not name one of his supposed crimes. "....I...uhhh... heard you would slit your momma's throat for a GP!!!!" Shadow stared at Edgar for a moment and then burst into hysterical, low laughter.

"Oh please..." He shook his head as Edgar turned red in embarrassment. "Well, we know that the mighty King of Figaro needs to do a little more investigation when it comes to his rumors...So does this make Sabin the brains of this group? I mean really, come on, throw me a bone here." At that comment, Interceptor let out a cheerful bark. He had slipped in from out of nowhere.

"So...uhhh...why were you so rude back in South Figaro?" Locke questioned, trying to regain some of his friend's dignity back. Shadow turned to Locke and put a hand on his chin, as if he were thinking.

"Oh...I remember you now...you were the peppy guy trying to talk to me at the bar..." Shadow dropped his hand and shrugged. "So I didn't feel like talking, big deal. Doesn't make me a momma-murderer, does it? You know, not everyone in the world likes talking to strangers." Locke blinked and narrowed his eyes, not knowing what to say.

"Sabin, I guess the question is, can we trust him?" Celes asked. Sabin nodded.

"Yes...he helped me when I was all alone." Sabin said sincerely. "I am 100% positive he can be trusted."

"Yes, you would know about trust, wouldn't you General Celes?" Shadow asked coldly, and Celes shrunk back a little, narrowing her eyes as well.

"I-I'm not General Celes anymore...I'm just..."

"Cut it out already." Locke said quickly. "Shadow, I know that, speaking as a Returner, we could always use more help."

"I knew you would see things my way!" Sabin smiled happily. "What say you, brother?"

"I trust you Sabin." Was all Edgar said in reply, and looked away.

"I won't garrote you." Shadow assured them, and smiled some, not that anyone could tell through the mask.

**********

And with Shadow, the group of Returners went from 4 to 5.

But does Shadow think of himself as one of us now? Sabin wondered to himself. Oh well...it doesn't really matter what he claims himself as...as long as we have the same goal, right? To find Terra? To restore order to our world? But Shadow said we couldn't just fight with magic...that it would take much more.

What will it take?

Even more importantly, can we do what it takes?

Of course we can...there is no use in doubting ourselves now! Keep the faith Sabin...

Searching and gathering information in Kohlingen, not to mention the added encounter with Shadow, had taken most of the morning, and now the hot sun beating down on the Returners backs as they pain-stakingly made their way down to south to Jidoor informed them that it was surely noon now. The only road to Jidoor from Kohlingen was a narrow, dusty dirt road that was once used for a chocobo trade route between Kohlingen, Jidoor, and Zozo back in better times. But now that Jidoor was a rich and very prospering town, and Kohlingen remained the quiet village it started out as, and well...Zozo had completely gone downhill when it came to both prosperity and class, the road was very rarely used--usually only by stray travelers or adventurers every once in a while. Forests on the western side of the continent were only plentiful in the south near Jidoor and along the mountains...so there wasn't any shade for the Returners either. Shadow didn't seem bothered by the overwhelming summer heat at all, but everyone else was feeling it--hard.

"I wish I could make it winter right about now!" Celes moaned.

"Me too." Edgar sighed, and proceeded to pull off his very heavy cape. "Going from Narshe to this...it's not good for you."

"I love the sun!" Locke declared cheerfully, and stretched his arms. "I could settle for a nice nap right now, actually..."

"We can nap later!" Sabin corrected.

"Suck it up..." Shadow said, and chuckled some. "You act like whiny teenagers..."

"I am a teenager, thank you very much." Celes snapped. "And I'll have you know, I've traveled in far worse condi--" Celes narrowed her eyes when she saw that Shadow wasn't even paying attention to her anymore, and just shut her mouth right then as to not waste her breath on a cretin like him.

"Hey, what will we do when we get to Jidoor?" Edgar asked, changing the subject altogether.

"I suppose...ask more questions." Locke replied. "I wonder if the townspeople will even talk to us though...They're pretty snotty, from what I've heard."

"We can always force it out of them!" Celes exclaimed, slamming her fist against her other hand. I can't even imagine you doing such a thing like that." Locke joked.

"Well, I'm sure if Terra DID happen to visit them, they would be willing to discuss the details." Sabin added. "I mean, anything to get them in the public eye, right?"

"Right." Edgar sighed. "But what public is there over here to impress?! ACK, it's like the sticks over here!!!" He whimpered and hung his head.

"Look! I can see Jidoor ahead!" Locke suddenly exclaimed, and pointed off into the distance. The bustling town could indeed be seen a bit, although all that could be seen were the tall homes that sat on the hillier part of the town.

"What big houses..." Celes trailed off, as they got closer and closer and got a better view of it all.

"It is a pretty town." Locke admitted.

When the town finally reached the gates of Jidoor, a young woman in a fancy red gown carrying a parasol over her head for shade as she strolled by welcomed them.

"Oh, hello!" She exclaimed. "What brings you here to Jidoor? Are you here to see Maria?" Everyone looked at each other and blinked, but the woman didn't seem to notice.

"I'm afraid she hasn't arrived in town yet." She continued. "The poor dear has been dealing with a stalker of some sort, and I don't think it is easy for her to get out!"

"Er..." Locke didn't know what to say.

"We've been searching for a young woman." Edgar quickly cut in. "She had white hair, and ruby red eyes..." The woman with the parasol gasped.

"You know of her as well? Are you from Kohlingen?"

"Yes!" Sabin cried. "So you've seen her?"

"Of course, the entire town did." The woman said nervously. "She ripped across the sky like a shooting star just the other night. It looked like she had come from Kohlingen, but when we sent a messenger up there by chocobo, he returned, saying that all Kohlingen knew was that she had actually stopped for a moment in their town before taking off here. It made us all very nervous...we thought she was a monster. But she is a young woman, you say...?"

"Well, yes..." Celes trailed off and tried to figure out how to explain herself, but luckily, the woman didn't seem to have the time to listen.

"Well, I can tell you that she isn't here anymore." The woman said firmly. "She flew farther south...towards Zozo."

"Then we'll head for Zozo!" Sabin declared, and the woman looked at him as if he had just said the foulest word in creation.

"Why ever would you want to go there?!" She cried. "Are you looking to have yourselves killed?"

"Honey, what's wrong?" A young man suddenly asked as he came around the corner. He wasn't dressed like the woman at all--in fact, his clothes were quite the opposite of fancy--a pair of faded overalls with a long sleeved cotton shirt and brown boots.

"These people have told me they want to go to Zozo to find that creature we saw the other night in the sky." The woman explained. The man, looking concerned, turned to the Returners.

"It's pretty dangerous there." He said worriedly. "That's a town for thieves and murderers...you can get away with anything. No one goes down there without good reason..."

"We do have a good reason." Shadow grunted. "We have to find the girl." The man sighed a little and put his hands in his pockets.

"Well..." The man trailed off for a moment and sighed. "I happen to own the only chocobo stable here in Jidoor," He began, "And I could rent out some chocobos for you to travel on. They run fast enough to avoid any monster encounters you might have. However, they will be of no use to you in the city, for they have been trained to stay out of Zozo and to come home if the borrowers attempt to take them in."

"How much are these chocobos?" Locke questioned.

"200 GP a piece." The man replied, and Edgar's face fell.

"That's a 1000 GP for us all to ride...!" He groaned, but finally dug in one of his many pockets and produced two large GP's valued at 500 a piece. "We'll take them!"

"Very well, come with me." The man said, and the woman waved to the group.

"Be careful!" She exclaimed. "Do come back here after you have found your friend! We would love to have you!"

"You mean have our money!" Edgar cursed under his breath, and Celes elbowed him.

"Now Edgar, what's got to be done has got to be done." She said gently, and then narrowed her eyes. "SO GET OVER IT!"

**********

The chocobo ride to Zozo was speedy, much to the riders' fright, because after hearing all the horrific Zozo tales the owner of the chocobo stable shared with them before their leaving, the Returners were about ready to turn around and just go back to Kohlingen. However, the chocobo stable owner did reveal to the team that there was one person in Zozo they could trust- a friend of his dressed like a merchant. The further south they rode, they began to notice that the air was getting more and more humid, and that the sky was beginning to get darker and darker. Clouds were beginning to roll in as well.

"Looks like a storm." Shadow commented, looking up at the sky from his chocobo.

"It tends to storm down here often, does it not?" Celes questioned, and Edgar nodded.

"Yeah...they say it is the workings of some ancient dragon that was supposedly sealed up in these mountains long ago." Edgar explained. "The Storm Dragon."

"Too bad dragons aren't real." Locke laughed. "That's what the people of Narshe say about their weather too--That it is the cause of the Ice Dragon."

The boom of thunder, and the downpour of rain suddenly interrupted the Returner's conversation about Dragons and other mystical creatures. Edgar, the head of the group, urged his chocobo on faster, and soon they had crept along the mountain curve that kept Zozo well hidden from the rest of the world, and came to the city's boundaries. Besides the shadows of the storm clouds, the city seemed purged in a darkness all of it's own. Fog filled the dirty streets, in which several chunks were missing from leaving potholes scattered everywhere to catch an unsuspecting traveler. The very tall buildings were crumbling and decaying in several places, and there were many balconies on them that had rails broken or missing. Despite the rain, the town reeked heavily of garbage and even had a small stench of blood in the air. The puddles that had already began to form on the streets were filled with broken weapons and shiny oil-like substances.

"Oh my God..." Celes trailed off, looking about her with disgust. Locke finished tying the chocobos up on the nearby chocobo post in front of the town's boundaries, and walked back over to the group, looking concerned.

"I don't even know where to start." Edgar admitted. "There are so many buildings, and--"

"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE!"

A scream suddenly ripped out in the darkness, and the sound of fading crying could be heard echoing in the background. Celes gulped, and Edgar grabbed onto the thing closest to him--Sabin.

"We have to start walking, or else we will get nowhere fast!" Sabin cried, and shook Edgar off him.

"Stay alert and aware at all times." Shadow instructed. "It will be better if we move as quickly as possible. I'll lead."

No one objected to that, and Shadow, along with Interceptor, began to walk ahead further into the city. The rain began to pour down harder and harder, practically beating on its victims' backs like tiny fists. At one point, Shadow had to step over a woman's body in the road, her hair spilled out everywhere, matted with the blood on the street...Luckily, she was face down, so the Returners would not be able to see the potential look of fear and horror on her face.

"...Locke..." Celes trailed off, and understandingly, Locke gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer.

"Don't worry, I'm here to protect you!" He reassured her, and she did not bother pulling away. However, she still kept her hand over her sword at her side, just in case. She shivered a little, the coldness of the rain finally beginning to sink in.

"HA HA HA!"

"Look out!" Shadow suddenly cried, and the Returners looked up to where the laughter had come from. A dirty bandit, with an eye patch over his right eye, was sneering at them and laughing manically from a balcony. He took a flying leap down, landing right in the middle of the Returners, and grabbed the closest thing in his reach, Celes' cape.

"AHHH!" Celes cried as she was yanked away from Locke and into the bandit's grip. He laughed some more and began to grope for any treasure she might have had.

"Celes!" Locke cried, and he, Edgar, Sabin, and Shadow all withdrew their weapons. Celes screamed louder, catching the bandit off-guard, and elbowed him right in the stomach, making him stagger back.

"Oooh...." He moaned, and before he could even stand up straight, Celes spun around and landed a high kick right in his face, causing him to shout in pain before collapsing to the streets, knocked out with a bloody nose. Celes snorted and put her hands on her hips.

"Jerk." She muttered, and shook her head.

"Celes!" Locke exclaimed happily, and she smiled, running back over to him.

"Maybe you should be protecting us." Locke joked, and Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Do you want to find Terra, or not?!" He demanded, and the others jumped a little.

"Yes, lets keep going..." Celes sighed. "Everyone, still keep on your guard."

As they crossed the rain-soaked streets, they came upon more bodies than they desired to see and more bandits and thieves looking for a quick pay-raise. The Returners easily took them out though, and no one got hurt seriously. As they passed buildings, a pair of members would break away from the group for a moment and try to open them, but sadly, most of the doors had either collapsed in to each other, blocking the doorway, or they were rusted shut. While it did eliminate buildings that needed searching, it also raised the possibility of Terra being trapped inside of one of those buildings, not able to be rescued.

After dispatching a particularly nasty little group of monsters called Greesemonks that were trained by professional thieves to attack people and steal their treasure, Edgar grew angry and slammed down his auto- crossbow.

"This place is nightmarish!" He cried. "The monsters and thieves never stop, and now I've run out of ammo!"

"We have to keep cool, brother." Sabin said worriedly. "Just use another tool."

"I can't keep cool!" Edgar cried. "What if Terra IS here? Can you imagine what they must be doing to her?! Arg, I can't even stand the thought of it!! And there are no way to get into these buildings!!! We're stuck and screwed at once!"

"Pull yourself together!" Celes cried. Edgar was taken back by surprise by her yelling, especially since she was right next to him, and stumbled over, falling into a large puddle in the road. Celes blinked and laughed nervously.

Edgar sighed. He was losing it. The traveling, the bad weather, and the whole idea of losing Terra for good was getting to him in the worst way. He looked up to the sky, and suddenly widened his eyes when he saw a person leap from the window of one building to another. Just like that, leapt!

"The hell?" Edgar asked, and Celes blinked, following his gaze. A few moments later another person leapt across the buildings safely, and went through the door on the balcony to get into the building. Celes trailed her eyes down and saw that the building they were all leaping into was another one of the rusted shut ones they had tried to get into before.

"So that's the secret!" She cried, and Locke looked to where the building was that the people were coming out of. It was only a few feet away, and the front door was wide open.

"That looks dangerous." Locke said immediately, seeing where everyone's attention was turned to.

"Let's do it." Shadow said, and Edgar crawled out of the puddle.

"It seems to be the only way." Edgar explained. "Come on...let's follow them."

"Oh boy." Sabin sighed, and shrugged to himself. He only hoped that jumping from a building would be just as easy as jumping on train cars!

When they entered the building, they found several lines of raggedy- dressed bums all moving towards a large counter in the back of the room, although it resembled more of a lobby. Behind the counter was a long flight of stairs.

"Let's just get to the stairs." Shadow instructed, and the group tried to slip by all the people as quickly as possible.

"Hey, you guys here teh werk!?" One of the men slurred, and Celes blinked.

"Uh, no!" She cried, and quickly ran towards the front of the group with Shadow. They finally reached the stairs and climbed them very carefully, as if they would collapse under the team at any moment. They were soon followed by lines of the men from the lobby, all grumbling about what they had to do for work that evening. All Celes had to hear was the words "hide well" and "blood" to get her to go faster.

"Let's hurry, I don't even want to see what they'll do to us if we keep them held up." Celes hissed between clenched teeth, and Shadow quickened the pace up the stairs. The next floor was filled with sagging beds and a few dressers, and almost appeared to look like the group room a lot of inns often offered to large groups of travelers, except for the fact it looked a lot more run down. Some of the beds were occupied by women, either sleeping in them or sitting up and making up their faces with the mirrors they held in their hands. On a closer look, Celes noticed that the mirrors were actually very jagged pieces of what might have been once a full mirror...

"Oh Gods, I'm beginning to think of what kind of establishment this might be..." Locke trailed off, and Edgar gulped.

"One of THOSE kinds of places?" He whimpered. "In THIS kind of town?"

"And I'm almost positive the people below us were not all workers..." Sabin trailed off as one of the men behind them showed a woman sitting on her bed a slip of paper.

"This ish my receipt!" He exclaimed loudly. "Looksh like I'm all yers tonight, hun!"

"Ugh!" Celes cried, and covered her ears, looking away. "And someone down there asked if I worked here?!"

"Stop right there, sweetie!" One of the women suddenly snapped, and the Returners froze. Shadow had reached another doorway, and had been preparing to go through it.

"Huh?" Shadow asked, and dropped his hand from the knob.

"I dun believe you're allowed in there without special permission from the boss!" The same woman snapped, and stood up from her bed, her mirror still in her hand. Her face was made up poorly, she almost resembled a clown in the heaviness and variety of her make-up. Her maroon dress, if you could even call it that, had two long slits going up the sides, leaving nothing to the imagination if she turned just the right way. Her dark hair was in a high ponytail, and her olive complexion glowered with anger.

"Well, we're not here...for...what you may think we're here for." Locke tried to explain, and cautiously slipped over to the door himself. "So if you'll excuse us, Miss..."

"I said STOP RIGHT THERE!" The girl shrieked, and with that, threw the mirror shard in her hand directly at Locke's head!

"Locke!" Celes cried, and managed to dive on top of him just in time. The mirror shard made a slight ringing noise as it flew over their heads and with a "thump" got stuck in the wall behind them.

"Geeze!" Locke cried, and he and Celes both scrambled to their feet. The girl snapped her fingers, and her fellow...partners in work appeared, all glaring at the Returners, with various objects in their hands. Celes gasped as one girl reached under her skirt and removed a knife that looked as if it had been bathed in pure rust.

"We're called the Slam Dancers of Zozo!" The girls all cried in a chorus. "You won't get away from us so easily!"

"Smile ladies!" Edgar suddenly cried, and out of his cape pocket, pulled out a rather large silver camera.

"EDGAR!" Celes cried. "This is no time for--"

"Click!"

"OWWWWW!" All the Slam Dancers started screaming in pain and rubbing at their eyes furiously.

"Come on, I've temporarily blinded them with my Flash tool!" Edgar exclaimed, and tucked it back into his pocket. "Celes, what did you think I was going to do?"

"We don't have time to discuss it!" Celes cried, and with that, threw open the forbidden door and took off running on the new flight of stairs ahead of them. This flight led up to another room, a little bit nicer then the previous, but not by much. All around them were half-open treasure chests full of money, some with weapons, and some with...well, exotic items for the Slam Dancers...

"Where do we go?" Locke asked, looking around, and Shadow pointed out the small window that was to their left. Outside of the filthy glass, they could just make out the shape of another building beside them, with a balcony.

"This must be where those people were jumping before..." Shadow trailed off, and pushed open the window. "Come on!"

"Shadow, wait!" Sabin cried, but before he could say anymore, Shadow took a flying leap off the window sill and with a thump and a curse, landed on the balcony across from him.

"Are you ok!?" Celes shouted, and Shadow nodded, waving for her to go on ahead.

"Hell no!" She cried, and took a step back. "All of a sudden, the building looks farther away..." She raised a hand to her forehead and took a deep breath.

"I'll go next." Locke said quickly, and brushed past her. Celes turned red. How lovely--he was abandoning her!

"Here I go!" Locke exclaimed, and took the same leap Shadow had. He gracefully landed on the balcony, and Celes looked out at him from the other building.

"Come on Celes, I'll catch you!" Locke called out. "I won't let you fall! It's not as hard as it looks, I swear it!"

"You'd better be right!" Celes called back, and gulped as she shakily crouched in the window sill and pushed off with all her might. She instinctively closed her eyes, but before she knew it, she stopped flying through the air, and instead of touching the balcony, had fallen into a pair of arms. When she opened her eyes, she saw Locke smiling at her.

"You did great." He grinned, and gave her a wink. Celes opened her mouth to reply, but felt as if something were caught in her throat. She quickly jumped down from his arms and walked over to Shadow, who was looking elsewhere.

"WHOOO-HOOO!" Sabin exclaimed, and took his leap a few moments later. Edgar followed last, and just in time too, for the sound of pounding high heels and angry shrieks could be heard approaching. A group of Slam Dancers appeared at the window sill, and began throwing more glass and knives!

"Run!!" Shadow cried, and they quickly moved into the room behind the balcony, and turned the corner as knives and glass shot past them and landed in the crumbling walls of the building. Locke stopped for a moment to catch his breath, and suddenly made a terrible revelation.

"Shadow, where is Interceptor?!" He cried, and Shadow turned to him.

"Don't worry, I imagine he is going his own way." Shadow said in his usual monotone. "Dogs are smarter then humans, you know." Locke's jaw dropped, but Sabin leaned over to whisper: "Don't worry, Interceptor always runs off somewhere and returns safely!"

"Lets just continue." Edgar said. "I suppose there is nowhere to go but up..."

The Returners managed to climb up the rest of the building without any more attacks from Slam Dancers or bandits. Celes was beginning to feel glad at their change of luck when they stepped out of a new doorway at the top of the building, and were about to cross over the small balcony to another one. However, something was blocking their way.

It was a fairly tall figure, which turned out to be a dark complected man with small wisps of black hair that were gathered into one small ponytail at the top of his head. He was wearing a deep azure vest over his muscular chest, and light orange pants that were rather puffy. He had no shoes, nor a shirt, but lots of glittering bangles and jewelry. He gave a smile and a short wave to the Returners, and Locke pushed to the head of the group, smiling back.

"Hi!" Locke exclaimed. "May we please get through, sir?" The man smiled some more, and bowed. Celes shivered and felt her hand instinctively going to her belt where her sword and whip were held. There was something wrong about this guy's smile...She looked to Edgar and Sabin, who seemed to be thinking the same thing by the looks on their faces.

"I do hate causing trouble!" The dark man exclaimed, and laughed. "So I guess I'd best let you though!" However, he didn't. He just...stood there. Locke blinked.

"Well, we're in a hurry..." Locke began, but before he could finish, the man suddenly leaped in the air and with a grunt, came down in a flying kick, striking Locke right in the shoulder!

"Ugh!" Locke cried in pain, and stumbled backwards into a surprised Edgar's arms.

"Locke, are you ok?!" Celes asked.

"I'm...alright..." Locke moaned and tried to stand up straight on his own, grasping at his shoulder. The man had kicked the arm Locke used for combat, rendering him useless for the battle.

"Come over here." Edgar said quickly, and moved Locke away from the attacker's reach. He laughed and put his hands on his hips.

"I am Dadaluma!" The man exclaimed. "And I'm afraid that this is the end of the line for you! How fitting that Zozo should be the site of your pathetic graves!"

"You look like an overstuffed toy to me!" Sabin challenged, and put his hands together. "Time for a lil' Blitz-Action!" He closed his eyes and began to concentrate very deeply. It was time to bring out a new Blitz in repayment for Locke's injury!

"AIR BLADE!" Sabin cried, and a burst of wind began to whirl about the group, causing the rain around them to start flying in small cyclone.

"Ack, what's happening?!" Celes cried, shielding her eyes as little flashes of light began to blaze within the cyclone. At that moment, the flashes of light grew and became boomerang-shaped. The cyclone sped up, and the wind made a shrill whistling sound as it began to fling the boomerangs out at Dadaluma. Each one that struck him caused him to scream loudly and raise his arms to protect his face. With each strike of the Blitz, small cuts began to accumulate on his arms and the rest of his exposed body. A few moments later, the spell ceased: The cyclone disappeared, and the boomerangs of light burst into little bits of sparkles that were washed away by the down pouring rain. Dadaluma, his energy exhausted, collapsed to the floor of the balcony, panting for breath.

"....I, Dadaluma, the strongest bandit, cannot be so easily defeated by a spell..." He groaned, and the Returners took a step back in caution as he struggled to his feet, using the railing behind him for balance. However, Shadow noticed how the railing shook considerably under his weight, but by the time he could say anything...

"ACK!" Dadaluma cried, as the railing suddenly cracked and collapsed from underneath him, sending him stumbling backwards in surprise before flying off the balcony...

"Oh my Gods!" Sabin cried, and cringed as there came a sickening 'thump' a few stories below them. After that, the only sound that could be heard was Locke's struggled breathing from the attack made on him and the pounding rain on the pavements below. No one said anything for a moment as the after effects of the battle sunk in. Finally, Shadow turned towards the team, who looked back to him.

"Come on, lets just go." He grunted, and Celes, looking back at Locke, half-nodded in reply. Locke looked up at her and smiled. Sabin sighed, and Shadow looked to him.

"Lets go." Sabin said, and with that, opened the door that had been previously blocked.

The room ahead seemed to be nothing but a long hallway, a mud-stained red carpet trailing up the middle as if it were a path. Edgar pushed ahead of the group and began to pound up the hallway as fast as he could manage after all his wet clothes and armor. Celes took in a deep breath when she stepped inside, and Locke looked to her.

"Something wrong?" He asked, and Celes shrugged a little.

"I feel an odd presence. It's just like when we were in Narshe..." With that, she broke into a run to catch up with Edgar. When she reached his side, she looked up and noticed that they were approaching the end of the hall. However, all that was there was a small bed and chair. The bed didn't even appeared occupied until Edgar and Celes had reached it themselves. When Edgar pulled back the covers, he revealed the albino version of Terra, shivering in her sleep and moaning softly every few moments, as if in a painful nightmare.

"Terra!" Celes cried, but she did not move. The others caught up to them immediately upon hearing her name.

"Terra???" Edgar questioned dumbly, and reached out to touch her shoulder. Suddenly, Terra's red eyes shot open, and with a cry of fear, leaped out of bed and began to fly back and forth across the room erratically, as if she couldn't control her own body.

"TERRA!" Sabin yelled, but she couldn't seem to hear him. There was a flash of lightning outside the window in the room, and Terra suddenly collapsed to the floor, out of energy. Locke was about to run over to her side, when a low voice suddenly called out:

"She's scared...you know."

The Returners all jumped in surprise and turned towards the chair, where the voice had come from. There, sitting in it, was a man who looked nearly ancient in age- He had a long, snow white beard that trailed on the floor, and long white hair to match. His robes were periwinkle blue and looked faded. They were also long, covering his feet and shoes completely. In his gnarled fingers was a wooden staff, with a small clear-ish orb at the top that sparkled with the mini-lightning bolts that were within it. He peered at the Returners with his squinted dark eyes, and clasped his staff tighter, making his knuckles turn white.

"Who are you!?" Celes demanded, bringing her hand to her sword. The man raised his hand and shook his head, causing Celes to furrow her eyebrows in suspicion, although she did slowly drop her hand back to her side.

"This girl...is your friend?" The old man asked, and Edgar nodded.

"Is Terra alright?!" He cried, and the man gave him a strange look.

"You call her Terra...Terra?? How odd..." He shook his head and sighed. "She is undamaged. But I fear that she cannot understand you. As for me, I am Ramuh. The Esper, Ramuh." Everyone looked to each other in confusion. Even Shadow looked confused behind his mask. The Returners all seemed to be thinking the same thing....

"ESPER?!"

Chapter Seventeen - A Prisoner of Love, Maria of the Jidoor Opera House

It was Locke who first spoke after the rather awkward silence between the Returners and Ramuh.

"I thought...that Espers lived in another world...?" He questioned slowly, and Ramuh smiled a little.

"Well, that doesn't mean that we don't live here too." He replied, and Locke opened his mouth to reply; though no words came. Ramuh took that opportunity to continue. "Espers take a variety of forms. Sometimes we live here, taking the shape of humans. But you have nothing to fear from us."

"But then why do you hide the fact that you are Espers?" Edgar asked, finally recovering from the shock of the spastic Terra and the introduction made by Ramuh.

"Humans and Espers cannot survive together." Ramuh replied sadly, but also matter-of-factly.

"But my grandma told me that Espers and Humans once lived side by side!" Locke exclaimed. "Was it...all just a fairy tale...?"

"No, it was not just a fairy tale." Ramuh said firmly. "That was true. We started out as friends...with no differences between us...And then...came the War of the Magi..."

"War of the Magi..." Celes trailed off, hearing of it so many times before.

"It took place... long ago." Ramuh began. "Espers fought humans who were infused with magical powers extracted from Espers... Fearing our magical powers would once again become a target, we fashioned a new realm, and moved there. You may know it as our 'Esper World'....for that is what it indeed is. But about 20 years ago, humans stumbled upon it...humans who knew about our abilities...and the secret to Magitek Power. Thus began a hunt for Espers. Only then could Emperor Gestahl create his invincible army..." Celes turned red and looked away. Could Ramuh tell what type of soldier she was? However, he did not seem to probe too much into the identities of the strangers that were before him. Instead, he continued on with his story. "In response to this, we erected a doorway, and threw the humans out. Even as we speak, many of my kind are trapped in the Empire's Magitek Research Facility, being...drained of their powers... And I fled here to avoid a similar fate." He sighed softly as Locke bent down and picked Terra up, gently laying her back down on her bed, pulling the covers back over her body to keep her warm. Ramuh slowly made his way over to Terra, using his staff for aide as he walked. When he reached her, he gently reached down and pushed some of her white bangs out of her face.

"That's right...Relax..." He murmured, and Terra let out a soft whimper. Ramuh looked back to the Returners, who were still gaping at him. "I sensed Terra was in trouble. My magic summoned her here."

"Terra is an Esper?" Shadow asked suspiciously, and Ramuh shook his head.

"No, actually, she is quite different..."

"She looks like she's in pain..." Sabin trailed off. "Isn't there anything we can do to help her? Celes, can't you cast a spell!?"

"I--" But Celes was interrupted by the old man.

"Her very existence strikes fear into her own heart." said Ramuh. "But when she accepts...this...aspect of herself, I think she will be just fine again."

"But we have to do something!" Celes cried. "We can't just leave her here, like this..."

"There is something you could do." Ramuh said calmly. "Free those of my kind imprisoned in Gestahl's Magitek Research Facility. One of them can surely help her, I am sure of it. Normal magic, a simple cure spell, could not reach her troubled heart. But I am sure...one of them can..."

"Them...?" Locke trailed off, but Celes furrowed her eyebrows in worry.

"You are sure that we can find your people in the Magitek Research Facility?" Sabin pressed.

"That's so far... it's all the way in Vector, the capital city on the Southern Continent." Edgar mused to himself.

"Magitek Research Facility..." Celes trailed off and shook her head. "T-T-That means...your people are..." She moaned and brought a hand to her forehead, as if she had a sudden headache. Locke blinked and walked over to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. However, she did not turn to look at him.

"Like a coward, I escaped, leaving the others there. Soon, it will be the end of them..."

"He means Espers?" Shadow mouthed to himself wonderingly.

"What do you mean?!" Locke cried.

"Gestahl's methods are incorrect." Ramuh explained. "You cannot just drain a live Esper of his power. It is only when we are reduced to Magicite that our abilities can be transferred in total..."

"Pardon?" Edgar blinked. "Magicite? What is that...?"

"When we transform into Magicite, our power can be relocated." Ramuh tried again. "Whoever possesses it gains the complete spell-casting abilities, and even some of the attributes of the Esper it once belonged to. Magicite is what is left of us when we....pass away." With that, Ramuh pulled out three thin leather cords from within his many layered robes, with small greenish gems at each end

of them. On a closer look, the Returners noticed they were kind of like necklaces, just very simple ones.

"These are my comrades...Kirin, Stray, and Siren...Who fell while escaping the Empire. And now, I will give you my power as well..." Ramuh sighed heavily, but before anyone could stop him, a flash of light suddenly emitted from the orb of his staff, blinding the Returners for a few seconds, yet it also filled the cold, damp room with a soft warmth. When the light had disappeared, all that remained in Ramuh's place was another gem on a cord, floating on it's own in mid-air... Locke blinked and reached out, taking the necklace in his hand. It was as warm as the light...it made his fingertips tingle as he closed it in his hand, looking down to the floor.

"...Are you really gone, Old Man...?" He whispered, and Celes raised her gaze to him.

"Locke...he traded his power, so that others might live..." She trailed off, and slowly rested her hand over his that was closed over the Magicite. Locke nodded and looked back at Terra, who seemed to be having an easier time now. She had stopped moaning and tossing about in bed, and now looked half-way content.

"Terra, wait for us, we will be back!" Locke promised loudly, and suddenly, the Ramuh Magicite began to glow softly, causing Locke to open up his hand some.

"We few can help save many. The War of the Magi must not be repeated..."

"Ramuh!" Celes cried, but the Magicite faded, and was soon back to the color it started out as. Locke took it and slipped it over his head and around his neck, tucking the stone underneath his shirt. Shadow walked over to the three magicites that Ramuh had also left behind, giving one to Sabin, Edgar, and Celes. They all followed suit with Locke, slipping the necklaces on and hiding the stones underneath their clothing. No one said anything about Shadow not taking one. Suddenly, the slamming of a door echoed throughout the hallway and bed chamber, making the Returners jump and return to their senses.

"Who's there?!" Edgar cried, prepared to use his Flash tool if necessary.

"Don't do anything drastic!" A voice cried. "It be me, and Sir Gau!"

"Cyan?" Sabin asked, and to the group's surprise, both Cyan and Gau appeared in the bedroom, dripping wet and their chests heaving from their rushed breathing.

"What are you two doing here?!" Celes cried, and Gau jumped up and down.

"A man!" Gau tried to explain, but he was too hyper to do a good enough job.

"Sir Gau and I had a most interesting visit from an elderly spirit hours after you left." Cyan explained. "He told us to come to you in Zozo immediately! I could not imagine why thou would be

in such a wretched place, but we asked Banon, who insisted we take our leave immediately by chocobo..."

"I wonder...if it was Ramuh..." Celes trailed off, and rested a hand over her chest, where she could feel the Magicite.

"We have made a rather startling breakthrough." Sabin said, and pointed to Terra on her bed. Cyan and Gau both gasped, and Gau made the move to approach her, but Sabin shook his head.

"We can talk on the way back down." Edgar suggested, and with that, the team turned and left Terra's "private chambers", closing the door tightly behind them. As they began to walk away, Locke's Ramuh Magicite glittered, and a lock on the door appeared that was the same shape as the Magicite on his necklace.

"He must want to protect poor Terra..." Locke sighed, and looked up to the dark sky. The storm had finally ceased, but now it was getting later, and soon whatever daylight Zozo might have had would deplete completely. He could hear Cyan and Shadow saying their hellos as he began to climb down a ladder that was hanging from the balcony they were on. It was short, but it would not be too much of a leap to get to the next floor of the building. He decided there was no way they were going to attempt to get through the building that was swarmed over with Slam Dancers, and the others seemed to get his drift, finding new and creative routes to get down from the building.

"The Empire is trying to drain magic from Espers...." Edgar began to explain to Cyan and Gau. Sabin looked to Celes, who was trying her very best not to slip on a rusty crane that she was climbing down.

"This can't be true...Celes...?" Sabin questioned, and Celes looked to him.

"I don't remember." She said flatly. "I was asleep when they...augmented me. But I've heard rumors to that effect...and believed them." With that, she turned away, and leaped down from the crane, onto the same balcony Locke was on. They engaged in a quiet conversation, and Sabin ran his fingers through his damp hair. He didn't know what to think.

**********

Back at the entrance of Zozo, the Returners had formed a small circle around the chocobos Locke, Celes, Edgar, Sabin, and Shadow had brought, along with the addition of two new ones thanks to Cyan and Gau. It was time to decide what their next step would be...

"So we're going to try to get in the Magitek Research Facility!?" Cyan cried, and put his hands on his hips. "It will be dangerous, no doubt..."

"We have no choice...we need to find Ramuh's people so that they can help Terra." Edgar said. "But you're right...we may not make it out of this one so easily...Besides that, we'll have to split up to do

anything. We still need people to protect Narshe. I am positive Banon and Arvis will not be able to hold out on their own for very long." There was an awkward silence, for everyone in the group was wondering if they would sound cowardly if they were to be the first to volunteer to stay back in Narshe, which was guaranteed to be MUCH safer...

"I'll go to the Empire." Celes suddenly said, much to everyone's surprise. "I know it well, obviously..."

"But alone?" Sabin asked concernedly. Celes nodded, but Locke shook his head in protest.

"Nah, don't worry, I'll go with her!"

"Locke!" Celes protested, but he held up his hand, not wanting to her to argue for now.

"Need a hand?" Cyan asked, keeping his gaze on Celes as he volunteered himself. Celes narrowed her eyes, and sparks of bitterness could practically be seen flying in between them.

"I'll go too then." Edgar said, and looked to Shadow, Gau, and Sabin. "Unless you guys..."

"Gau like to stay in Narshe for now." Gau replied. "Good training. Build strengths."

"Edgar, only if you promise to be careful." Sabin warned, but Shadow shook his head, and brought his fingers to his lips, letting out a short whistle. A few seconds later, Interceptor came galloping towards them, barking loudly.

"There is no need for me to remain with you." Shadow said coolly. "You have a new mission now...search out the Espers, and save your friend...nothing I am too deeply involved or interested in at the moment."

"Very well Shadow." Sabin replied, knowing not to argue. "I hope we meet again."

"As do I!" Cyan exclaimed, and Shadow nodded to them. Without another word, he took off running with Interceptor, fading off into the darkness...

"So it will be Sabin and Gau staying in Narshe then?" Edgar confirmed, and they nodded.

"Please wait for us." Locke said. "We'll come back safely."

"Good-bye!" Gau exclaimed, and jumped on his chocobo. "Come Mr. Thou!"

"That's Sabin!" Sabin cried, but did climb on his own chocobo as well. "Be careful...!" With that, the chocobos reared up for a moment, happy to be able to run off as far from Zozo as possible, and took off, kicking up some mud and puddle water behind them. As Sabin rode off, he reached down and pulled off his Magicite, tossing it to a surprised Cyan. Edgar waved and Cyan asked him a few

more questions about Magicite as he slipped it around his neck. Locke turned and walked off on his own, staring at the ground, buried in his thoughts. They could save Terra...but at the same time they were attempting to save Espers...Espers...whom he thought were long sealed off from the human world... All of a sudden, everything he had been raised on as a child had been declared invaluable knowledge. Espers had been among humans all this time...but the Empire must have known that before everyone else, for them to be able to acquire Magitek Power...

"Locke." Celes suddenly said, making Locke jump in surprise. He whirled around and faced her, putting on a slight smile.

"Yes, Celes?"

"Why are you coming with me?" Celes suddenly demanded, and Locke laughed nervously, hoping she could not see the color of his face clearly.

"Well...there's bound to be tons of treasure there!" He exclaimed, and Celes looked as if she were about to fall over. Locke held up a finger and grinned. "Besides, I've always wanted an inside look at the Empire!!!" Celes slowly nodded, and smirked some as she walked away back to Cyan and Edgar. Locke wasn't sure, but he was almost positive he heard her mutter "Men are fools..." under her breath as she left him. He furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest, screaming: "They are not!!!" Celes turned around and cracked a smile, and Locke blinked, scratching his head. "I mean, I am not!! Yeah, that's better....Oh forget it...This is not the time for jokes..."

"It sure isn't." Edgar said worriedly, turning back to Locke and Celes. "How are we going to get to Vector? No ships sail there anymore..."

"Maybe someone in Jidoor could help us." Locke suggested. "Besides...it will be getting dark soon, and we should find a place to settle for the night! There is no way we can get to Vector by tomorrow morning anyway, so we may as well get somewhat comfortable..."

"Good idea, Locke." Edgar said, and walked over to his chocobo, giving it a pat on the head before climbing on top of it. "Shall we be off, Returners?" As Celes got on her chocobo, she caught Cyan giving her a suspicious glare once again. She snorted and rolled her eyes to herself. How ridiculous...that he came to baby-sit her.

**********

The sky had darkened greatly by the time the Returners had returned to Jidoor. Upon returning their chocobos to the stable in which they came from, they asked the owner of the stable for help on getting to Vector. However, he did not have much advice for them.

"You might want to ask Owzer though." He suggested thoughtfully. "He's the richest man in town...and might have connections."

"Connections?" Celes blinked. "Where is this Owzer?"

"He lives in the mansion on the very north point of town." The man explained. "You can't miss his house...it's the biggest one AND it is the only home on the north point. It's surrounded by trees and probably swarmed by gardeners keeping them up. You might have trouble getting in right now though...he has important visitors this evening. Maria, the famous opera singer, and Impresario, her advisor and the owner of the Opera House down south are visiting."

"We'll find a way in." Edgar determined. "I mean, I'm the King of Figaro!! Who would ever reject a visit from me???" He smiled proudly, and the chocobo stable owner laughed nervously.

"I...cannot imagine such a thing, sir." He said. "But if you'll excuse me, it is getting late, and I have to close up for the night."

"Thank you for everything." Locke said, and on that last word, the Returners took their leave.

"Lets pay Sir Owzer a visit." Cyan suggested. "I just hope that he can do us some good."

"It's worth a try." Edgar said. "Although, we look far from presentable..." Everyone groaned when they remembered that they were all soaking wet and muddy from mucking about in Zozo, but it couldn't be helped. So, the Returners walked up to Owzer's house, getting a lot of strange looks from the people who were still out walking around. When they reached his home, which was way too large for any of their comfort, they found the rich oak door wide open, and shouting coming from within.

"What's going on?" Edgar demanded.

"Only one way to find out!" Locke exclaimed, and with that, stepped in the house.

"Sir Locke, it's rude to just enter without a proper invitation!" Cyan cried, and Celes pushed past him roughly to follow Locke.

"Oh quiet! We've got to do what we've got to do." Celes snapped, and Cyan looked as if she had just told him to jump off a cliff. He grumbled to himself as he cautiously followed Edgar, making himself the last to enter the home. Their feet left wet, muddy footprints on the soft white marble floor in the entryway, which were dimly illuminated by the candles hanging on the hall walls. The hallway then led to a short set of stairs to their right, and continued on ahead to another set of stairs a few feet ahead.

Locke turned and looked up the staircase, seeing two men walking about on the floor it led to. (The floor itself was actually just like a small bedroom, only it had railings around it's perimeter instead of walls, so that one could look down to the hallway from above.) One of the men had light brown hair (it was nearly blonde in the candlelight), which was slicked back with some sort of gel that

made it look very shiny and reflect light off from the candles. He was also dressed very nicely, in a medium blue suit with long coat tails trailing down from his rear side and golden buttons accenting the front jacket. He was pacing about the room hurriedly, almost frantically. The other man was sitting in a soft burgundy easy chair across from the pacing man's path, dressed in a gray suit similar to the other man, his legs crossed as he held a small glass of a light-colored champagne in one hand, and rested the other on the arm of the chair. He sighed and took a sip of his drink as the pacing man whimpered something, and brushed back some of the dark brown tendrils of hair that had flopped over his eyes.

"Why, why did this have to happen now!?" The pacing man cried, raising his hand, which the Returners noticed was grasping a letter very tightly, not taking heed of wrinkling it at all.

"I don't know what to say, Impresario..." The sitting man replied, and took yet another drink. He suddenly looked up, noticing the group of people at the foot of the stairway, and blinked. Impresario turned around and saw them too, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor.

"He can't be that shocked that a bunch of muddy hooligans tracked their way into the house..." Locke joked, but the Impresario paid him no mind. He instead swiftly made his way over to the group, and reached out, grabbing Celes' hand. She let out a surprised cry as he pulled her up the stairs and rested his hands at her shoulders. Cyan, Edgar, and Locke all looked to each other nervously.

"Maria?!" Impresario suddenly cried out, and Celes made a face in return for him being so close to her face. "My Gods, you're filthy!"

"Good lord, get off me!" Celes cried, and jerked back a little. "Are you talking to me?! My name is Celes Chere!!!" Impresario blinked and suddenly stepped back, tilting his head to the side slightly as Celes glared daggers at him.

"I'm sorry!" He suddenly cried, and wiped at the sweat on his forehead. "My mistake...Wow, you could pass for Maria in a heartbeat!! Damn...now I really am in trouble..."

"Celes looks like Maria, that opera singer!?" Edgar whispered to Locke, and Locke shrugged.

"I've never seen Maria before." He replied quickly. At that moment, a young man ran in and pushed past the Returners, running up to Impresario.

"Sir, a message!" The boy exclaimed. "Maria wishes to tell you she is at the opera house, but she is not coming out for any reason! She's hidden from you so that you would not take her to Jidoor, Sir."

"What?!" Impresario cried, and smacked his forehead. "It's all because of this damn letter...oh well, no point in making the poor dear worry by dragging her up here with me while I was visiting Owzer.... But she can't hide all night! We have a BIG midnight performance in a matter of hours! I

must go back to the opera house and try to convince her to perform. I'm sorry this was so short, Owzer, and I'm sure you were looking forward to meeting Maria."

"Oh, don't worry about it." Owzer said, somewhat sadly, and stood up. "Please give Maria my regards...I certainly hope you can persuade her to perform."

"I as well!" Impresario cried, and with that, ran out of the house, dropping the letter that was in his hand. Celes reached down and picked it up as Locke and the others joined her up in the small room. Owzer walked over to the Returners and looked them over curiously.

"That person forgot his letter." Celes said, trying to hand it over, but Owzer just shook his head.

"He's the director of the operas here in Jidoor...everyone just calls him Impresario. He's been in a tizzy ever since that letter arrived."

"I wanna read it." Locke whined, and Celes shrugged, handing it over to him. Owzer looked Celes up and down and turned slightly red. "It's true...you really do look like Maria...body figure and all..." Celes gulped and slid over to Locke's side. These people were creepy, as far as she was concerned. Locke cleared his throat and read the letter out loud:

"My Dear Maria,

I want you for my wife. I'm coming for you...

-The Wandering Gambler"

Locke blinked and dropped the hand holding the letter to his side. No wonder Maria didn't want to be out in public! He turned to Owzer, who did not look too surprised by the letter. "Who's this...."Wandering...."What's-His-Name??" Owzer, who seemed to be a pretty level headed character, suddenly burst out laughing, making Locke turn red.

"Wha!?" Locke cried, and Owzer smiled, almost mockingly.

"You born on a farm, son?" He asked, and Locke put his hands on his hips in offense.

"Actually, I was born in Koh---"

"He's a black jack-playing, world-traveling, casino-dwelling free spirit..." Owzer interrupted, and smirked. "That's Setzer Gabbiani, owner of the world's only airship."

"An airship?!" Cyan exclaimed, and Celes looked down at the floor in thought.

"Hmmm...If we could get that airship...we'd make it to the Empire in no time..." She trailed off, and Locke smiled deviously.

"Let's set up a meeting....with this Setzer..."

Chapter Eighteen - The Kidnapper, Gambler, and Pilot Extraordinaire Setzer

"Locke, do you really think that this Setzer will be willing to take us to Vector?" Edgar questioned worriedly. Locke looked away from the elegant Opera House in front of them and nodded seriously.

"Yes! I am positive that we will find a way on his ship...honest or not, hee hee..."

"Oh dear." Cyan moaned. "Sir Locke..."

"Sounds like a plan!" Edgar grinned, and looked the Opera House up and down himself. It was a magnificent piece of architecture, several stories high, completely built up with a pale white stone that was fashioned into the shape of bricks for building purposes. The white stone almost seemed to glow in the silvery moonlight that reflected off of it from the sky. The roof was a soft blue color, a shade lighter then the blue shutters that framed each of the windows that were in the house. Freshly polished golden candle-holders were installed at the doors and the windows as well, illuminating the front of the building with the long ivory candle sticks that were placed within them, each one burning brightly. The pair of doors at the entrance were so large, it looked as if it would take a group of people just to pull one open. Each door had a golden door- knocker in the shape of a rose, and matching door handles. The door handles were curvy and elegant--the matching rose design came in on the handle itself, for it looked as if a golden rose stem (minus the thorns) had been weaved around it, the blossom resting at the top of the plate that held the door handle on. Carved in the actual doors were intricate designs of what looked like plays being performed scene by scene. The detail was so precise, one could actually read the expressions on the character's faces that were carved on the door perfectly. Edgar found one scene of a young woman in a billowing dress weeping in her lover's arms particularly moving.

"Here we go..." Celes trailed off, and reached up, banging one of the door-knockers 3 times. Everyone in the group stepped back considerably when the door began to slowly swing open outward. When they were fully opened, they saw Impresario stepping away from the long roped cord that opened the doors, and he smiled, gesturing them in. As soon as the last person stepped inside (Cyan), he pulled the cord again, and the doors slammed shut, a soft booming noise echoing within the hall they were standing in.

"It's you again!" Impresario exclaimed, and Locke dug in his pocket, handing over the letter he had dropped in Owzer's house.

"I read that letter." Locke said. "Setzer's coming to steal her..." At the sound of that name, the Impresario let out a moan and pulled out a fancy handkerchief, wiping his forehead.

"He'll probably appear right at the climax of scene 1. The man loves an entrance!!!" Impresario cried. "I remember when he tried to abduct Maria last time...thank goodness he grabbed someone from the orchestra instead! The poor girl hasn't wanted to perform since...she knows Setzer is after her!!"

"Oooh, if only we could grab HIM during the performance!" Locke muttered, and Impresario's eyes bugged out of his head.

"Dear me, NO!" He cried. "You'll ruin the performance! I'll lose my job!"

"Then you're history!" Celes added in gleefully, and Impresario moaned even louder.

"This is simply HORRID! I want the performance to be a success! But I don't want Maria to be abducted...She won't even perform tonight unless I guarantee her safety, which I simply cannot..." Locke thoughtfully stroked his chin and muttered to himself:

"We'll let him grab her..."

Impresario looked at him with a puzzled look on his face. Locke suddenly looked up and broke into a wide grin.

"I've got it!" He exclaimed. "We'll use Celes as a decoy! After Celes gets kidnapped, I'll follow Setzer right to his airship!! I must say, I am brilliant!" Celes' jaw dropped to the ground, and Impresario let out a frightened yelp.

"Are you MAD!? If something should happen to Maria..."

"That's why the decoy!" Locke tried to explain, although he was nearly shouting in excitement. "We'll hide Maria somewhere safe!"

"Come again?!" Impresario cried, and Locke let out an exasperated sigh.

"You said SHE looks like Maria, right?" Locke asked, pointing to Celes. However, she had caught on to his plan, and shook her head furiously.

"Now just a minute Locke!" She cried, but he interrupted her.

"Celes will be our Maria! She'll lead us to the airship!" Locke exclaimed, and Celes let out a shriek of protest while Impresario jumped up and down.

"You ARE brilliant!" He exclaimed, but Celes pushed him roughly aside so hard that he nearly fell over, and marched right up to Locke, getting in his face.

"I'm a GENERAL, not some opera floozy!" She cried, and Locke smiled more, poking her nose playfully.

"What was that, Maria?" He winked, and Celes let out a frustrated growl, whirling around and running into the closest room she could find, slamming the door behind her so hard that the walls shook. Impresario looked worried, but Locke gave him a wink of assurance, and Edgar laughed to

himself. Cyan merely let out a sigh and shook his head. Locke crept over to the door Celes had went through and pressed his ear to it. Inside, he could hear Celes struggling to sing a basic scale.

"Miii.....Miiii.... Do, re, mi.....faaa...." She coughed loudly and moaned, clearing her throat. "Maaaaaariiiiiia.....!" Locke smiled and gave the others a thumbs up. He knew he had won her over. He let out a loud whistle and laughed.

"Nice job Celes!" He exclaimed, and a string of high-pitched curses came back to him in reply. He laughed and walked back over to the others, hands in his pockets.

"So, what next?" Edgar asked, and Impresario looked back to the room Celes was in before returning his gaze to the Returners.

"Well, I imagine that if Celes is going to perform tonight, she'll need to be well-prepared, so I will inform Maria's attendants to help get her ready and take her to her dressing room." Impresario began. "After that, I will go ahead and tell Maria that she can remain wherever she pleases tonight, until after Setzer has come and abducted Celes. Then...we simply wait... I think it is best if we sit up in the private balcony so that we can have a good eye on things. The performance is scheduled for midnight, and the climax of the first scene is at 12:30 exactly, if all goes well. That is when we can be expecting Setzer."

"Sounds like gold to me." Edgar grinned, and Impresario pointed ahead of them to a pair of double doors.

"There are the balcony seats, why don't you sit up there and enjoy the warm up music while I take care of what needs done?" Impresario suggested, and with that, Locke and the others went to their seats, and Impresario went down the hall to a left staircase, and disappeared through another pair of doors.

But...little did the Returners know, that there was someone else who was also aware of their plans...

"Heh heh heh..." An evil voice cackled from under the right staircase. "I shall pretend to be this Setzer and spoil their little plans! MWA HA HA! Revenge is sweeeeeeeeeet...." A long purple tentacle slipped out from under the stairs, followed by an ever-slimy and ever-evil Ultros! The king octopus snickered to himself and threw a letter out into the middle of the hall that appeared to be from Setzer. (Despite his fiendishness, Ultros was quite talented in the ways of the literary arts, and could write surprisingly well...) A disappointed look came over his face however, as he saw that there was no one around to read it. He groaned and tapped a tentacle on the floor impatiently. At that moment, the double doors opened, and Locke, Edgar, and Cyan emerged. Ultros snickered and slithered back under the stairs. However, they walked right past the letter and Locke gently rapped on Celes' door.

"Can we come in a moment?" Locke asked. The door opened, and they stepped inside, shutting it behind them. Ultros blinked and squirmed, letting out a low growl.

"D'haaaa!" He cried. "Come on, read it...!" A few moments later, two young women approached Celes' door, also not noticing the letter. The knocked and entered as well, shooing out all of the guys so that Celes could bathe and dress. The Returner men shuffled back to their seats through the double doors, and still, the letter remained, un-touched.

"Oh damnit, I'll have to write another one now..." Ultros moaned, and reached out, grabbing the abandoned letter and shredding it. "No games this time...!" He cackled to himself and pulled out a pen (Please do no inquire as to where it came from, it is a mystery we are all better off not knowing about.), and proceeded to write another...

**********

"This dress is kinda tight..." Celes moaned. It was a couple hours later, nearly time for the opera to start. Celes learned that she wasn't in the first couple acts, but it was time for her to get out of her bath and get dressed. Her attendants had abandoned her after brutally scrubbing at her skin in the bath and then painfully tying her hair up in a ponytail, leaving wisps of her bangs out so that they could be curled with the hot iron resting at the tiny stove in the room. The last thing they did was weave a soft violet ribbon through her ponytail and tie it at the top of her head before leaving her to fend for herself. Celes held in her breath and her stomach as she jerked the dress up higher around her middle. Only, she jerked way too hard and let out a scream as she lost her balance and tumbled over in her high heals to the floor. She couldn't remember ever having to wear something so torturous in her lifetime.

"Owwwww..." She whimpered, stars flying in front of her eyes.

**********

"Hey, the lights are dimming!" Cyan exclaimed. For the past few hours, the Returners had watched what seemed like hundreds of people filing into the auditorium below them, all chattering excitedly about the show and what good seats they did (or didn't) have. The Impresario had left them only a few moments earlier, for he needed to start the narraration of the play, but he promised to return shortly. The candles all around the auditorium were blown out by scampering ushers, and the soft red velvet curtain hiding the stage slowly slid open. The chattering of the people dropped to a soft hush, and soon there was silence. The backdrop of the stage was a dark sky with a silver moon and glittering stars. Although the Returners couldn't tell, the light of the stars and the moon were being shone by prop and lighting directors in a hidden balcony, using all sorts of new technology for the job. The orchestra began playing a soft new tune, and the Impresario stepped out, a somber expression on his face as he approached the front of the stage. He opened his mouth, the music hushed considerably, and he spoke:

"The West and East were waging war... Draco, the West's great hero, thinks of his love, Maria. Is she safe? Is she waiting?"

"Oh, I am SO getting into this!" Edgar sniffled happily, and Locke and Cyan both couldn't resist giving him odd looks. At that moment, Impresario departed from the stage, and a new man appeared, dressed in shining silver armor like a knight's. He walked about for a moment, as if searching for something, when a sudden drum roll rang out, and herds of pounding chocobos with other knights riding on top of them ran rampant across the stage! Cries of fear and wonder from the audience rang out as the chocobos "ran over" the knight, and he fell to the stage in a dramatic thump. When the chocobos ran offstage, he stepped up slowly, struggling, and looked out to the audience.

"That must be Draco." Cyan whispered.

"Oh Maria Oh Maria Please, hear my voice!" Draco sang, his deep, yet soothing voice rolling across the waves of people. He brought a hand over his heart and sang another line:

"How I long to be with you!"

Celes will be coming out soon. Locke noted as he looked down at the copy of the program Impresario had given them. Maybe...I should wish her luck... He stood up to go see her right as the Impresario appeared in the doorway, back from his performance.

"Something wrong?" He asked Locke, and Locke shook his head.

"I'm just going to the dressing room." He said, and Edgar and Cyan nodded, not keeping their eyes off of the opera.

"Go right ahead." Edgar replied.

"Going somewhere...? I'm going to relax!" Cyan exclaimed, transfixed. Locke chuckled to himself, and left the balcony, going down to Celes' dressing room. Once again, he knocked, and for a moment, got no reply.

"Celes, you ok?" Locke asked.

"Ack, yes!" Celes burst out. "Come in Locke!" Locke opened the door and stepped inside, trying not to grin too hard at the sight of shoes, puffy dress undergarments, and a toppled over stool in the room. However, his smile faded when he saw Celes, who was staring at him from the dresser mirror she was standing by. The deep blue of her eyes seemed to stand out greater then ever before because of the purple ribbon woven within her hair, which looked so silky and shining, Locke almost had to restrain himself from running over to her to touch it. Her normally pale face was glowing with a natural blush from being in such a hot bath for so long, and her lips were painted with a soft hue of red. Her neck was adorned with several golden necklaces with amethyst jewels dangling from them, and she had earrings on to match. The neckline of the dress scooped down considerably, where a purple bow matching the one in her hair rested. The dress itself was made out of a rich ivory colored material with intricate patterns weaved into it by the sewer of the gown. It

flared out from her hips and made a soft swishing sound as she walked towards him carefully, holding the dress out at it's sides so that she wouldn't trip. Locke felt her face turn more and more scarlet until he had to finally look away, pressing a hand to his cheek to help hide his face. He heard Celes stop behind him and clear her throat, as if she were waiting for him to say something.

I have to ask him... Celes thought to herself. I have to find out the truth while we are alone. I have been wondering since Kohlingen... I don't want to be in the dark anymore.

Tell her she's beautiful, tell her she's beautiful!!! Locke's mind exclaimed. Locke cleared his throat as well and felt his voice crack as he parted his lips, still not looking at her.

"Aye yai yai, izzat you!?" He burst out, and immediately turned redder for saying something so ridiculous. Celes blinked, and put her hands on her hips, staring at the back of Locke's head and ignoring the comment. Time to cut to the chase.

"Locke, why did you help me back there?" Celes asked, and Locke felt his face get considerably paler at the unexpected question. He turned to face Celes, his brown eyes locking on hers to search for why she might of said it. However...he couldn't read them...

Back there...did she mean, South Figaro? That felt like ages ago...even though it was really just days. And it had been days ago that she had stood there with that same indecipherable look in her eyes and peered at him in that basement, asking the same question she was asking now. Locke couldn't lie now though. Before, he had merely told her that he had felt like it, when the reasoning ran so much deeper. She had easily seen through that...and he somehow knew she could see through him again.

"Celes..." He sighed. "You know...how...I...abandoned someone...when she once needed me..."

I knew it.

Celes nodded slowly, nicely smothering any sarcasm that she had dying to drip from her next words.

"And somewhere inside...you were saving her, weren't you?" Celes questioned coldly. Locke shook his head and turned away.

Not after the first time, Celes... Do you remember it was YOU that I swore to protect when we escaped South Figaro together...? Is what he wanted to say. However...

"That ribbon suits you." Locke replied quickly, wanting this conversation to be done and over with. Celes blinked and absentmindedly reached up, feeling the silky ribbon with her fingers for a moment before quickly dropping them and turning her back to him, her own face beginning to match his.

"It's time to get on with the show!" Celes suddenly burst out, although she felt rather stupid for it. "This is the big scene in which Maria senses that something has happened to Draco!" She walked over to the copy of the score Impresario had given her and turned the page so that it was on her entrance.

"You'd better read over that one last time." Locke warned, and Celes shooed away the idea with her hand.

"I'm ready." She replied, and began to make her way over to the back of the room, where there was a secret entrance to the stage for her. Locke followed her up and rested a hand on her shoulder before she pushed the curtains in her way open.

"Locke!" Celes cried worriedly, but he just squeezed her shoulder gently and gave her a weak wink.

"Good luck..." He trailed off. Celes relaxed a little and smiled.

"Thanks." She replied, and with that, stepped out on stage. Locke decided to stay in her room and peek out from the curtain to watch. Someone, more then likely Impresario, was narrating again, only no one was on stage.

"The forces of the West fell, and Maria's castle was taken. Prince Ralse, of the East, took her hand by force, but she never stopped yearning for Draco..."

Celes took a deep breath and tried to ignore all the faces in the audience that were all focusing their stares at her. After all, she was the only one on stage. She found herself on the sturdily built castle that had been built for this opera, just like it said in her score. According to it, she was to first slowly make her way down the castle walkway, singing. She would think about the rest as she came to it. Celes closed her eyes for a moment, prayed for good luck, and took a few steps forward. Her voice rang out as clearly and as beautifully as that of a morning bell as she began to sing, the power and energy driving her words coming straight from her very heart and soul.

"Oh my hero, so far away now. Will I ever see your smile? Love goes away, like night into day. It's just a fading dream...

I'm the darkness, you're the stars. Our love is brighter than the sun. For eternity, for me there can be, Only you, my chosen one...

Must I forget you? Our solemn promise? Will autumn take the place of spring? What shall I do? I'm lost without you. Speak to me once more!"

Celes took a deep breath, silently congratulating herself on making it through the first half of her lines. She didn't realize it until that moment, but she had indeed reached the end of the castle walkway, and had come to a set of small stairs that led up to her next scene. She slowly began to

ascend them, being careful not to run, or else she would blow the timing. Each of her steps was in time to the beat of the music, filled with elegance and grace as if she really were the Princess Maria.

Listen to her voice... Locke thought to himself. She's incredible... I wonder what Celes is thinking as she sings this?

"Wow, Celes sings good!" Edgar exclaimed as he chewed down some popcorn.

"I agree." Cyan nodded. "I am pleasantly surprised."

Celes made it up to the next floor, and looked about her surroundings. Her next cue arrived; the "ghost" of Draco appeared through a hidden trap door, and the actor held out his hand to Celes.

"Come, Maria, follow my lead...." Draco said softly. Celes reached out her hand as well and entwined it with Draco's as he pulled her closer, slipping his other hand around Celes' waist. Celes reached up and rested her hand on Draco's shoulder, giving him the nod that she was ready. The two then slowly danced about the castle surface together, keeping their eyes fixated on each other, staying perfectly in rhythm to each other's motions. Draco then stopped them and slowly leaned in, pressing his lips to Celes' forehead. Celes closed her eyes and carefully slipped her foot over the button by her foot that would make for Draco's exit. There was a sudden flash of lights from the prop directors above them, and with a chuckle, Draco "disappeared" by quickly descending the stairway Celes had uncovered for him with her foot while the flashing lights hid him from the audience. When she opened her eyes, she found her last prop for the scene, a bouquet of roses that was supposed to be what Draco's ghost turned into. She bent down, picking them up, and began ascending the last set of stairs ahead of her. When she reached the rooftop of the castle, she brought the roses up close against her chest, and looked up into the sky, singing to the moon her last lines.

"We must part now, my life goes on. But my heart won't give you up. Ere I walk away, let me hear you say I meant as much to you....

So gently, you touched my heart. I will be forever yours. Come what may, I won't age a day, I'll wait for you, always..."

With a soft sigh, Celes suddenly lifted her bouquet and threw it into the air, over the edge of the rooftop. She continued to gaze out at the moon until her next cue came along, a tall man dressed as the palace chancellor, reached out and touched her shoulder. She whirled around to face him.

"Prince Ralse is looking for a dance partner." The chancellor said. When he saw the look of sadness on Celes' face, he changed his tone to something more cheerful. "Leave the past behind! Our kingdom is adopting the spirit of the East...!" Celes slowly nodded, and with that, followed the chancellor offstage. The red velvet curtain fell, ending the first scene.

Locke took in a deep breath and smiled, looking away from the stage as stage crew ran about to prepare for the next scene.

"Well done Celes..." He murmured, and left her dressing room to meet up with the others. However, when he stepped outside, he spotted an envelope on the floor. Curious, Locke picked it up and opened it, reading it aloud to himself:

"I owe you one, so I'm gonna jam up your opera!

-Ultros"

"Damnit!" Locke cried, clutching the letter in his hand. "I don't know who the hell this guy is, but I'd better show it to Impresario..."

**********

"WHAT?!" Impresario roared, and Edgar swiped the letter from Locke's hand.

"Ultros!? That slimy beast?! What is he doing here...?!"

"You know him?!" Locke and Impresario both shouted at once.

"He attacked Terra, Sabin, Banon, and I on our way to Narshe!" Edgar cried. "He's a dope, but I'm almost afraid of what he may try to do..."

"Look!!!" Cyan cried, and pointed up to the catwalk above the stage. There was Ultros, and his tentacles were busy with something large and black that was sitting at the end of a beam of wood.

"Good lord!" Impresario cried, and the cheers and applause from people below them could be heard as the curtain opened for scene 2. "He has hold of one of the 4-ton weights we keep up there for when we need to hang various objects up in the air for the operas... Might he disrupt the opera with THAT!?" Ultros heard Impresario's cries, and looked to the group from his position, snickering.

"HA HA!" He exclaimed, and pointed to the 4-ton weight with one of his tentacles. "Lets see if Maria can shrug this baby off!" Locke gasped and looked from the weight to the stage below. Ultros was positioned exactly above where Celes was standing for the scene! Locke let out a struggled cry as Ultros suddenly pushed at the weight with all his might...

.....But nothing happened.

"N' ghaaaa!" Ultros screeched. "It will take me at least 5 minutes to push this blasted thing!" Locke turned to the other party members worriedly.

"We have to save Celes." He choked. "I can't let her di---"

"We haven't got a second to lose!" Edgar cried, and Cyan nodded.

"Talk to the man in the room to the far right!" Impresario cried. "He'll get you up there!"

"It's as good as done!" Cyan exclaimed, and with that, he, Locke, and Edgar bolted from the balcony.

Meanwhile, on the stage...

"The survivors of the West attack!" A messenger of the East suddenly cried, running across the stage. The actor playing Prince Ralse stood up from his throne, pretending to be shocked.

"Impossible!" He bellowed. Celes gasped, clasping her hands together, like in the script. At that moment, soldiers wearing the West's uniforms came barraging onstage, waving their swords and crying out battle cries. Soldiers from the East ran out as well and they paired up in multiple duals, the sound of clashing metal ringing out in the auditorium. A gasp came from the audience as Draco suddenly rode in on a chocobo, running down Prince Ralse in the process. Draco leaped off the chocobo and ran to Celes, taking her into his arms and leaning his head against hers.

"Maria..." Draco sighed, and Celes held onto him tightly.

"Draco...I've waited so long...I knew you'd come...!" She cried happily.

"Maria will finally have to be MY queen!" Ralse suddenly boomed, pulling himself up from the floor. Celes gasped as Draco turned his back to her and drew his sword. He and Ralse sang the next line together:

"For the rest of my life, I'll keep you near...!"

"It's a dual!" Ralse sang, and he and Draco dove into combat, one-on- one.

Back on the catwalk, Locke and the others finally caught up to Ultros, who was inching the weight closer and closer to the edge of the beam. Ultros looked up at them in horror as Locke drew his dagger.

"RATS!" Ultros shrieked, and with a growl, Locke dived on top of him, ready to slice him from head to tentacle. However, Locke dove on Ultros too hard, making the slippery demon slide backwards off of the beam, Locke on top of him!

"AHHH!" They both screamed in unison as they fell from the catwalk and crashed onto the stage. Their fall wasn't so bad though, as Locke fell on top of Draco, and Ultros on Ralse. The two actors moaned painfully and blacked out right then and there. Locke gulped as the audience suddenly cried out and started murmuring to themselves.

"Uh oh..." He muttered.

"Oh Geeze!" Celes cried, smacking her hand against her forehead in embarrassment. Impresario suddenly ran onto the stage, horrified at the scene before him.

"Disaster!" He cried. "If the two heroes are flattened, the opera's over! Then who will win the girl!?" The audience all moaned and started to grumble about getting seriously ripped off. Some even stood up to leave, but Locke got an idea.

"Neither Draco nor Ralse will save Celes!" Locke suddenly shouted, jumping to his feet. "I, Locke Cole, the world's premier adventurer, will save her!" The crowd started to go wild with cheers and whistles, and Celes smiled to herself, the embarrassment going away a little.

"Aya...what awful acting..." Impresario sighed, and shook his head.

"SILENCE!" Ultros suddenly cried, getting up as well. "You are in the presence of Octopus Royalty! A lowborn thug like you could never defeat ME!" Ultros grinned, as he was beginning to get into this acting thing. Impresario shrugged and raised his hands.

"Might as well make the most of this...MUSIC!" He exclaimed, and the orchestra began playing the Opera's battle theme. Cyan and Edgar took this time to jump in, waving at the crowd excitedly as they ran over to Locke.

"They love me!" Edgar sighed happily.

"Draw your sword, Sir Edgar!" Cyan suddenly cried, as Ultros let out a growl and shot out a tentacle at the king. Edgar gracefully evaded the attack, leaping out of the way along with Cyan. Locke looked back to Celes quickly to make sure she was still safe, and she raised a hand in a small wave. He smiled, waving back, and with that, ran forward, thrusting his dagger into Ultros' side. The audience ooo-ed and awww-ed as Ultros let out a scream of pain and slapped at Locke with his tentacles to get him away. Locke stumbled backwards, and Ultros began to whimper like a baby.

"Looks like...this is my unlucky day!" He cried, and when he remembered he was in front of a life audience, sucked it up and gave a wave to the Returners. "Adios, Losers!" Before anyone could stop him, Ultros slammed down one of his tentacles, resulting in an ink cloud explosion. Locke, Edgar, and Cyan coughed considerably until the air had cleared, along with all traces of the royal pain in the butt octopus. The audience burst into a deafening applause, as Edgar and Cyan bowed, and Locke turned to Celes, his arms open. Celes cried out happily and picked up her gown as she ran to Locke, calling out his name.

"My princess!" Locke exclaimed, and Edgar pointed back to Locke with his thumb.

"Look at him, trying to steal the show from us!" Edgar cried.

"Maybe he's not acting." Cyan smiled some, and Edgar gasped when he realized what he meant by that, and turned to see what would happen next. Suddenly, the lights on the stage dimmed considerably, and a new voice broke out from above.

"Just a damn minute!" It exclaimed, and Celes stopped, looking around. "What a performance!!!!" She looked to Locke, who stared back at her, wondering who the voice was.

"It's Setzer!" Impresario suddenly cried, and a rope suddenly swung out from above the stage, a man with silver hair and clad in a black trench coat and matching boots riding down on it. In one swift grab, he snatched Celes by the waist and pulled her close to his side. Celes cried out in surprise and looked at her planned kidnapper. He turned to look at her also, but as soon as he did, he narrowed his deep blue eyes in a glare, and squeezed Celes tighter. His face suddenly looked meaner thanks to the scars Celes noticed on his face, one that cut across his left eyebrow, one that cut across his forehead, and one on his right cheek. But the man suddenly smiled again and looked to Impresario, waving.

"I'm a man of my word, Music-Man!" He exclaimed, and the rope began to quickly rise back into the sky.

"This is Setzer!?!" Celes cried, her words fading as she rose higher and higher, until she disappeared from view. Locke nodded to Edgar and Cyan, who immediately ran off to begin their pursuit. The audience started gasping and whispering again, which Impresario took care of.

"What a reversal! Thinking she's Locke's new queen, Maria is instead nabbed by Setzer! What fate lies in store for her? Stay tuned for Part 2!" He grabbed Locke's arm and forced him to bow down as the curtain fell, helping to fade out the radical cheers from the audience.

**********

"Ouch!" Celes cried as she was thrown through a doorway on Setzer's airship, and fell to the floor. She moaned and rubbed her aching feet that had been in high heels all night as Setzer poked his head through the doorway and glared heavily at Celes.

"I'll deal with YOU in a minute!" Setzer cried, and with that, slammed the door shut. Celes kicked off her dreaded shoes and jumped up, struggling to open the door, but not to her surprise, it was locked. She shrugged to herself and walked over to the opening that was in the floor of the room, which was surrounded by a small railing to keep people from falling through it. The hole provided what looked like easy access to a part of the engine of the airship in case it needed repairs in that specific area. Celes kneeled down and waved, giving the signal. After stepping back from the hole, Cyan leaped up first, then Edgar, and finally Locke.

"What a performance!" Locke exclaimed, and Celes shook her head angrily.

"Enough already!" She cried, and Locke looked to her.

"But this is a tough one! Part 2 begins now!" Locke joked, and looked around the room they were in. "But...where's Setzer?"

"He's coming." Celes sighed, and as if on cue, Setzer suddenly burst in the room, slamming the door behind him once again. He marched over to the Returners immediately and pointed to Celes, nearly jabbing her in the chest.

"W-Who are you !?" He cried. "You are NOT Maria!"

"Setzer, we need your help." Celes pleaded. "We have to go to Vector, and we need your airship to do it."

"Look lady, if you're not Maria, then I don't want you aboard!" Setzer snapped. Celes moaned and racked her brains trying to figure out what to do.

This guy seems to like his women...maybe if I sweet talk him into it....

"Wait!" Celes cried, and suddenly softened her voice to a sweeter, almost seducing tone. "We were told your airship is the finest vessel in the world..." Locke got the idea and nodded enthusiastically.

"AND that you were the world's most notorious gambler..." He grinned, and even Edgar and Cyan stepped in.

"I'm the King of Figaro." Edgar added. "If you cooperate with us, you'll be well rewarded."

"And I am Cyan, retainer to the King of Doma." Cyan pleaded. "Please help us!" Setzer sighed, and ran his fingers through his rich hair, which ran in waves to his shoulders.

"Come here." He said to Celes. She blinked and slowly walked up to him as he asked. He reached up and gently traced a finger down her cheek to her jaw line, peering into her eyes.

"....Yeah...?" Celes asked nervously. Locke let out a snort and Edgar and Cyan both gave him a look to keep quiet.

"Don't misunderstand me..." Setzer suddenly snapped, dropping his hand from Celes' face. "I still don't know if I am going to help you..." With that, he turned and left the room, although this time, he left the door wide open behind him. Celes picked up the front of her dress again and motioned for the others to follow her. They left the small room and entered in a larger area of the ship, which was filled with all sorts of poker tables, chip dispensers, and wheels of luck. She spotted Setzer standing at the left side of the room, in a small, secluded area with a large window that overlooked the skies. She ran over to him and pushed her bangs out of her eyes, clearing her throat to let him know she was behind him. Locke and the others followed as well, and when they arrived, Setzer

turned to look at the group, smiling slightly. He spread his arms apart to indicate the entire area they were in.

"Phew..." He sighed. "The Empire has made me a rich man..."

"Stop thinking of yourself!" Celes cried, and Setzer raised his eyebrows at her change in tone. "Many towns and villages have been totally destroyed by the Empire!"

"The Empire is also totally rotten!" Locke added. "They're using magic to enslave the world!"

"The Empire and my realm were allies, until recently, when they turned on us." Edgar stated, and Cyan stepped up.

"They also wiped out the people of Doma, with poison!" He cried, and Setzer shifted his gaze away from them and back out to the window.

"The Empire....evil?" Setzer pronounced each word as if they had no relation to each other what-so-ever.

"We all hate the Empire for the same reasons." Celes tried again. "That's why..." Suddenly, Setzer whirled around to face her, taking her face in his hands gently. Celes widened her eyes as he leaned in closer to her, their lips inches from each other.

"You know, you're even more stunning than Maria..." Setzer trailed off, and Celes widened her eyes even more. Locke was about to reach out and grab Setzer's shoulder, when Setzer turned back around at the last moment and wrapped an arm around Celes' waist, pulling her against him a little too hard, resulting in her face being pressed up right against his shoulder. Locke gritted his teeth together and stepped back slightly.

"Enough!" Setzer exclaimed, and pressed his lips to Celes' hair. "If you....if Celes becomes my wife, I'll help you! Otherwise..." Celes let out a short gasp, and Locke totally lost it.

"WHAT?!" Locke screamed, not being able to hold it in anymore. "What are you, STUPID?! God damn..." Edgar and Cyan were just as surprised, but couldn't find it in themselves to say anything to top Locke's outburst.

"...We haven't any choice..." Celes sighed, and looked away from the others. Locke's jaw dropped to the floor, and he began to stutter in protest.

"B-B-But....!"

"YES!" Setzer exclaimed. "Then it's settled!"

"But!" Celes raised a finger, pressing it to Setzer's lips rather harshly. "I have conditions..." She broke away from Setzer's grip, and walked over to Edgar, holding out her hand. Edgar blinked and suddenly realized by the motions her fingers were making what she wanted. He dug deep within his robes and produced a shiny coin of Figaro descent, dropping it into Celes' hand. Celes turned back to Setzer and held up the coin.

"We'll decide with a coin toss!" She announced. "If it's heads, you help us unconditionally! But if it's tails, I will go with you and become your wife. Well, Mr. Gambler...?"

Setzer's face lit up in pure delight. "Oho, fine, I accept!" He exclaimed, and Celes nodded, very pleased with this.

"Listen to yourself!" Locke cried, and Celes turned to face him. "Celes...You just can't become his wife! You CAN'T!" Celes suddenly smiled and pressed her finger to her lips to indicate for Locke to be quiet, and gave him a wink. Locke opened his mouth again to protest, but thought better of it and just shut his mouth.

Celes...why are you doing this to me?!

"Ready?" Celes asked, and Setzer nodded eagerly. Celes took a deep breath and with a quick flick of her fingers, flipped the coin into the air.... It did several flips before clattering to the floor between Celes and Setzer's feet. Celes kneeled down, took a look at the coin, and pressed her lips together in concern. Setzer chuckled at her hesitation and kneeled down as well, reaching up to tuck her loose bangs behind her ears.

"Something wrong, my dear?" He asked, and Celes looked up to him from the coin slowly.

Chapter Nineteen - The Mysterious Returner Sympathizers

"I win!" Celes exclaimed cheerfully. "Now, honor your side of the bargain!!" Setzer tried to hide the disappointed look on his face as he looked down and saw that the coin was indeed heads-side up. He nodded to confirm Celes was right, and Locke thought he was about to pass out from pure relief. Edgar grinned, and Cyan looked mildly relieved himself. Right then, Setzer picked up the coin, and turned it over in his hands, a slight smile appearing on his lips. Celes blinked and gave Edgar a worried glance. Setzer stood up and grinned even more, tossing the coin back to Edgar.

"How unusual...!" He exclaimed slowly. "A coin...with identical sides!" Celes smirked and put her hands on her hips.

"I believe you've been hustled, Mr. Gambler." She smiled, and Setzer burst out laughing, clapping his hands together.

"Ha!!!" He exclaimed. "How low can you get??? I love it! Alright, I'll help you. I've got nothing to lose but my life...My life will be a chip in your pile! Ante up!"

"Yes!" Edgar exclaimed, and Cyan went over to Setzer, shaking hands with the man vigorously. Edgar stuffed the coin back in his pocket, smiling to himself.

Worked like a charm, just like before... Edgar sighed in remembrance and thought of his brother. Good thing Sabin wasn't here to see the coin...he might of suspected me...

"Celes, you nearly gave me a heart-attack!" Locke snapped as Celes walked back over to him, and she merely smiled in reply. "And you let me worry even though you knew you would win the whole time?!"

"What's it to you who I marry, Locke Cole?" She suddenly asked, and Locke turned red.

"What's it to me...?" He repeated, and she nodded.

"Yes, what's it to you?"

"....Well....uhhh...." Locke stuttered, and Edgar suddenly came over, interrupting them.

"Celes, do you want to go back down to the Opera House really quick and find your clothes?" Edgar asked, and Celes nodded quickly.

"Please, lets go. I feel like I'm going to suffocate in this dress if I stay in it a moment longer." Celes replied, and with that, she turned away from Locke and left the airship with Edgar. Locke blinked and smacked his hand up against his forehead. Setzer smiled to himself and put a hand on Locke's shoulder, making Locke glare up at him.

"Would you like a tour of the ship?" Setzer offered, and Locke softened his stare a little. Setzer didn't seem like quite a bad character, although Locke was not going to be quick to forgive him for trying to get Celes to wed him.

"Sure." Locke said, and Setzer began to lead him to a ladder across the room that would lead to the upper deck of the ship.

**********

About a half an hour later, the Blackjack (Setzer's name for his ship) was soaring high in the sky and crossing the ocean, making it's way towards Vector, the capital of the Southern Continent. The sky was completely black, with clouds covering what little light the moon and stars emitted for the night. Setzer and Locke were on the outside deck, talking about what exactly Locke, Celes, Edgar, and Cyan had to do in the Magitek Research Facility. As Locke explained himself the best he could, Setzer piloted the airship. Edgar and Cyan were in the lower decks, enjoying a few good card games with each other, and Celes was sleeping, exhausted from her performance at the Opera House.

"So we don't exactly know what we're going to find there...but no matter what, we're going to free the Espers."

"I'd think you were talking poppycock to me if you weren't wearing that silly necklace." Setzer replied, and Locke reached up almost automatically, slipping the Magicite shard underneath his shirt again. "So...Espers are still among us..."

"Apparently." Locke said.

"And why is it so important that you free them?" Setzer pressed on, and Locke paused, not knowing if he should reveal much about that detail, considering it pertained to Terra and Ramuh as well. All he had told Setzer was that they were going to Vector for the Espers. Setzer saw Locke's hesitation and chuckled a little.

"It's ok...you don't have to tell me. I understand, I'm not apart of your little group. You might still consider me a man of the Empire."

"It's not that." Locke said quickly. "It's just...personal, for now." He looked to Setzer. "What do you have to do with the Empire, anyway? Are you that close with them?"

"Not really." said Setzer. "I've only shipped weapons and such for them a few times, and once in a while they call me for quick transportation of their soldiers. I get paid well for their little errands, which has made me overlook some of the more nastier things they have been trying to pull off lately. But I'm not actually apart of the Empire...just an extra card in their hot little hands."

"You don't have to do their dirty work for them, you know." A new voice said firmly. Locke and Setzer both turned to the trap door in the floor of the deck where people could emerge from below,

and saw Celes climbing out of it. She kicked the door shut once she was on her feet and walked over to the group, back in her old Imperial uniform, the make-up washed away from her face, her hair flowing free from it's binding ponytail. It was easy to tell there was still sleep in her eyes as she rubbed at one of them.

"What's wrong Celes, couldn't sleep?" Locke questioned, and Celes nodded.

"On account of my bad driving?" Setzer joked, and Celes smiled.

"No, not exactly, just some bad dreams." Celes replied, and her tone turned slightly more serious. "Don't let the Empire control you, Setzer."

"Well well!" Setzer chuckled. "Aren't we Miss Political?"

"No, I'm just telling you the right thing." Celes snapped. "Although I am sure they will screw you over soon enough, and you'll find out on your very own. I would make a bet on that." She shook her head and walked over to the edge of the deck, leaning over the railing as she gazed at the land far below them. The wind caused her hair and her cape to flap backwards, and made her shiver as well. She wrapped her arms around herself to stay warm.

"Well Celes, can we really trust anybody in this dreary world?" Setzer offered. "I mean, a relationship with any other human is a gamble in itself. You risk losing everything, or gaining something incredible at the same time." Celes turned to peer at him, and Locke felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw the passion in her eyes as she replied.

"The last part you said was true." She said. "And I have indeed lost everything that was important to me at one point of my life because of faulty relationships with others. But it didn't keep me from trusting and trying again." Her gaze flickered from Setzer's to Locke's for a moment. "I have faith in my new friends...it's the only thing that has been keeping me going these past few days." Locke opened his mouth to say something, but Setzer interrupted.

"Is that what you think? Your words have touched my heart Miss Celes...I hope that they one day reach my very soul as well, so that I can fully recuperate from the day I lost everything." Celes blinked and Locke stared at Setzer in surprise. Setzer smiled at the two's surprised expressions and looked out ahead of him, turning the wheel on the airship slightly to the right. Locke laughed nervously and kicked at the deck.

"This unwieldy-looking ship really moves!" Locke exclaimed to change the subject. "Could it...crash?"

"When things fall, they fall!" Setzer exclaimed. "It's all a matter of fate..."

"But this ship is going to stick out like a sore thumb." Locke added. "Better land some distance away..."

"Right." Setzer replied. "And when we do land, I'll stay on board incase of an emergency."

"Does that sound ok to you, Celes?" Locke asked, but when he turned, he saw that she had disappeared from where she had been standing. She had probably got bored with the conversation and went back down to the lower deck. He felt his heartbeat suddenly quicken and a chill run down his spine at her absence, which he found to be an odd reaction. Locke sighed some and ran his fingers through his hair. Setzer looked away from the steering wheel to look to where Locke was staring, and then to Locke's gaze itself.

"Something wrong Locke?" Setzer asked, and Locke shook his head.

"I don't know exactly...I just got the strangest feeling." Locke replied, and Setzer raised his eyebrows. "It was like I thought Celes was never coming back."

**********

Hours later, just when dawn was beginning to break out over the horizon of the sky, the land edge of the Southern Continent could be see from the surface deck of the Blackjack. Locke didn't get a wink of sleep the entire night, but he knew he couldn't even if he tried. He was both excited and deathly afraid at the same time of invading the Magitek Research Facility. It was the closest the Returners had ever gotten to the actual core of the Empire. And yet, it was also the closest any Returner had come to risking a painful death...

As the Blackjack prepared to make it's landing, the other Returners came on deck, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. Setzer made a careful and surprisingly quiet landing in a small field just beyond the short forest path that led to Vector, their ultimate destination.

"I'll be waiting right here!" Setzer said. "Remember that when you make your grand escape!"

"Hopefully there won't be one." Cyan said nervously. "We agreed to do this as safely as possible, didn't we Edgar????"

"Yes Cyan, don't worry!" Edgar exclaimed. "Everything will be pulled off without a hitch. Celes said she knew this place well, so we should be fine!" Cyan looked to Celes, and Celes smiled.

"Well, when you get to Vector, just go straight to where you need to go." Setzer warned. "Last I heard, they had this incredible machine called the Guardian imported into the city, and they use it to guard classified areas. The machine is literally invisible against anyone who tries to disarm it except for the Emperor Gestahl, and if you try to destroy it.....well, I'll do you an extra service in your honor by bringing your friends to your funerals."

"Gee, thanks Setzer." Locke gulped.

"Please, we should go soon!" Celes said. "I really do want to get this over with..."

"The lady is right!" Edgar exclaimed. "Lets be on our way. I'll thank you now Setzer, in case I don't get to later!"

"Edgar, PLEASE!" Locke cried. Edgar chuckled and patted Locke on the back.

"You look like you need to sleep Locke, why don't you just stay with Setzer?" Edgar asked, and Locke shook his head quickly.

"No no, Celes is right, lets just go."

"The Espers are waiting!" Cyan exclaimed somewhat cheerfully, and with that, bounded towards the ship's exit.

"Farewell." Setzer smirked, and waved. "Don't get hurt Miss Celes."

"For some reason, I think I'll be the only un-injured Returner." Celes sighed as she proceeded to drag the nervous Locke and overly-death- excited Edgar off the Blackjack. They joined Cyan in the field underneath the ship, and proceeded towards Vector. Along the way, Celes shared with the Returners a bit more about the capital.

"The city was built in a great hurry, because the Empire needed a place to claim as their own." Celes explained. "So most of the homes within are poorly constructed, and its where all the poor people of the area live now. The Empire used them to build the rest of the city and the Imperial Palace...an ugly structure made completely out of metal plates and bolts, like a giant machine. The Magitek Research Facility is attached to the east wing of the palace, and it is the east end of the city that is the most smogged and filled with pollution. There used to be a river that ran through town, but it became so filthy and filled with pollution, all the creatures that lived in it died. I remember one summer when everyday, carcasses of fish and small sea monsters would wash up on the shores of the river and fill the air with the stench of death. Eventually, the Empire drained the river and built a dam further up north so that the water couldn't flow there anymore. So, the poor people who couldn't afford or weren't able to travel up north to get fresh water were at the Empire's mercy. It's been like that ever since I can remember...which is why most of the folk there have gone bad, some even worse then the people in Zozo. They aren't afraid to steal or assault to get what they need, so be on your guard."

"What a hellish place..." Cyan trailed off.

"Only for the people who aren't apart of the Empire." Celes added. "Imperial officers and soldiers get to live in the palace, and while it may appear to be like a prison, it's actually luxurious if you have a high enough rank."

"Oh, but of course..." Cyan replied dryly, and Celes glared at him.

"I'm not justifying how the people of Vector are being treated." She said. "I'm just telling you how it is." Locke and Edgar remained silent.

The Returners emerged from the small forest and came to the gates of Vector, which were unguarded as of today. The broken cobblestone streets reminded all of the Returners of Zozo, only there were no rain puddles or bodies on the ground posing as obstacles. In some of the alleys that could be seen between the shabby houses were metal barrels with smoke rising out of them, and people in dirty, raggedy clothes holding out sticks with some sort of meat stuck on them over the barrel. They must of been cooking breakfast. The orange-ish sky above was slowly fading into pink as the sun rose high over the Imperial Palace, which was just as Celes had described it- large, looming, and built up entirely of hard metal slabs the color of mud. A little ways northeast of the palace, long, thick trails of smoke could be seen rising into the sky.

"That's our destination." Celes noted, pointing to the smoke trails. "However, I am almost positive we will not be able to get there through the palace entrance."

"But is there another way?" Cyan questioned. Celes nodded, and looked around them. People had stopped in the streets and were starting to stare. They were making themselves targets for assault.

"Lets get out of here and go somewhere where we can talk." Celes said quickly. "I don't want to stay in one place for a long period of time..."

"But where can we go?" Edgar questioned. "All these people look kind of shady..."

"Just follow me." Celes said, and gestured for the others to fall in step behind her. She made her way across town as quickly as she could manage, and began to climb the steps that lead to the Imperial Palace.

"Celes!" Locke hissed in her ear from behind her. "What are we doing?"

"Just be quiet and quit looking suspicious." Celes snapped. They were now at a small square that looked as if it were under construction for more homes or buildings. People were scrambling about with crates and wooden planks, and Imperial soldiers were posted barking out orders to them. Celes slipped past all of that and led the Returners down another flight of stairs that actually led into the middle of the square, which was hollowed out a story below the land that was being built on.

"We're going to talk in a hole?" Cyan asked, and Celes shook her head.

"No! Just come on." Celes sighed. "Is there anyone around?!" Edgar, Locke, and Cyan all looked about them, but saw no one and told her so.

"Ok, good." Celes said, and with that, reached over and pulled open a door that was seemingly camouflaged with the same metal the square was composed of! The other Returners looked at her in

surprise, but followed her in anyway. They found themselves in a small, dimly lit cafe with all of its tables and stools empty. There didn't even appear to be tender behind the counter.

"What is this place?" Cyan asked.

"Well, one of you should know." Celes replied, and smiled a little. "It IS a hideout for the Returners, you know."

"What?!" Locke and Edgar cried in unison.

"Well....it was anyway, until the Empire discovered it and....well..." Celes sighed and put her hands on her hips. "At any rate, we can talk here, because it's deserted...I figured it still would be, the Empire hadn't found any use for this space since I was here last."

"Very well, lets sit down." Locke sighed, and they found a table that could seat four. "So Celes, just what do we do from here?"

"It's going to be somewhat difficult." Celes sighed. "There is no way we be able to get in the palace alive, so there is no hope trying there. The only other way to get in the Magitek Research Facility is to go in through it's direct entrance. However, that will also be difficult, as I am sure it is guarded as well. It's our safest option though, just because there is less security."

"You know not of any secret entrances?!" Cyan questioned, and Celes shook her head.

"No! I didn't need to know them, I had clearance to go through the normal ones!"

"This is a disaster." Locke moaned. "Can't we use that invisibility spell of yours, Celes?"

"There are barriers made of magic that act as security for anyone who would try that." Celes explained. "And as soon as a person with the spell is struck with or uses magic, they appear..."

"Are you Returners?" A new voice suddenly asked, and the entire table of Returners each let out their own little yelp as they turned towards the owner of the voice. It was a young man, dressed in dark clothing with small silver spectacles, holding a bottle of cider in one hand.

"Erm..." Locke trailed off, and the man smirked a little.

"It's ok, it's not a problem by me." The man winked. "I'm sort of a Returner sympathizer."

"Oh?" Celes raised her eyebrows.

"Shall I tell you something neat?" The man asked.

"Well, ok." Edgar said, and the man took a sip of his cider.

"You'd best be careful when you go mucking about in the Magitek Research Facility. All of the soldiers in there can use magic...That Professor Cid is truly a genius!"

"Professor Cid?!" Celes cried. "Tell me, is he well?"

"As far as I know, yes!" The stranger replied.

"Who is Cid?" Cyan asked.

"The head professor of the Empire." Celes explained quickly. "He is the one who helped perfect the infusion process for Magitek Knights. He also basically raised me...he's the closest thing to a parent I have ever had. It's been forever since I've seen him..."

"Who was the first Magitek Knight?" Locke questioned, and the stranger jumped in at this.

"Well, it was General Kefka!" He exclaimed. "But when he was infused, the process wasn't perfected yet, and something in his mind snapped that day..."

"That explains a lot..." Edgar trailed off. "But I'm afraid it doesn't help us with getting into the facility itself..."

"There is someone who might be able to help you with that." The stranger replied. "An elderly man by the eastern end of town is also a Returner sympathizer."

"How will we know its the right old man if we try to seek him out though?" Celes cut in, and the stranger thought a moment.

"You'll just know...he's the only guy who ever hangs around all those crates that isn't an Imperial soldier..."

"Thanks...I guess." Edgar said, and with that, the Returners stood up and left the abandoned cafe.

"That was creepy how that guy snuck up on us..." Celes sighed.

"He was probably lurking in that cafe the whole time we were talking." Locke added. "But at least he gave us some useful info."

The Returners crossed town once again, keeping a careful eye on their surroundings as they did so, and followed the Returner Sympathizer's directions, looking for the man on the east side of town by...all the crates.

"Is that him?" Cyan asked nervously, and discreetly pointed towards an elderly man who was leaning back against a large stack of crates, chewing on a sandwich, his teal robes dragging to the dirty ground. Celes made a face and Edgar shrugged.

"Well, if that's not him, then I guess I'll see you guys in Imperial Prison!!!" Edgar laughed, and strolled over to the man. Locke cringed and Celes patted him on the back comfortingly.

"It's ok, we can always run for it." She reassured him.

"Um, excuse me, uhhh..." Edgar stuttered as he looked up at the man. He didn't quite know what it was he wanted to say. He peered over at the two Imperial Soldiers who were guarding an empty pathway that he assumed led to the Research Facility, and then looked back to the man. The man's eyes suddenly lit up and he grabbed Edgar by the arm, pulling him over behind the crates.

"ACK!" Edgar cried, and Locke, Celes, and Cyan all gasped in unison as they watched him disappear with the man.

"Shh!" The old man suddenly exclaimed, and Edgar blinked and shut his mouth. "I'm a Returner Sympathizer!"

"Oooooooh, thank the gods!" Edgar sighed in relief. "My friends and I need to..."

"Get to the Magitek Research Facility?" The man interrupted. "No problem..." He pointed up above him, where there was a steel post and rafters that crawled along just above some of the buildings around them. Edgar's eyes followed the trail until he saw it go off into a smaller building that could barely be seen from behind the Imperial Palace...the Research Facility...

"While I distract the soldiers, climb the steel tower from these boxes, and sneak into the facility." The old man explained. "All ready?"

"Wait!" Edgar said hurriedly, and popped his head up over the boxes (which wasn't hard, since he was so tall), gesturing for the others to come over. Locke hesitantly lead the group behind the crates, where the old man quickly explained the plan again. Celes nodded, agreeing.

"I think it will work." She said. "Lets do it. We don't have much time..."

With that, Edgar climbed on the tower first, getting ready to go as fast as he could for when the old man began to distract the soldiers. Celes got behind him in line, Locke got behind her, and Cyan remained as the tail of the group. The old man suddenly began to do what looked like a little dance in front of the soldiers, making them nearly drop their swords in surprise.

"What the hell!?" One of them cried, and the old man began to moan loudly.

"I-I'm gonna be siiiiiiick!" He shouted, and one of the soldiers began to approach him slowly.

"Get outta here!!!" The other soldier groaned, and the old man stumbled over to him, clutching at his stomach.

"Urrrgh....gonna...toss...it....all!!!!" He stuttered, and leaned over the soldier's boots.

"HEY!" The soldier cried, and bent over to assist the old man.

"GO!" Celes hissed, and with that, Edgar scrambled up the steel tower the rest of the way and began to crawl over the steel rafters towards the research facility. Celes and the others soon followed after, trying not to chuckle as the old man below them made all sorts of horrible and queer noises regarding his "illness". As soon as they were far enough behind the soldiers, the Returners silently leaped down from the rafters and ran up the path the rest of the way to the Magitek Research Facility. When they reached the tall steel doors, Celes threw them open...

Chapter Twenty- Cid, Head Scientist of the Empire

"Please!!!! Why are you doing this to us!?!"

"We have done nothing wrong!"

"HEE HEE HEE! I do declare, you are stubborn little buggers, aren't you?? Submit to me! Submit your powers to KEFKA! MWA HA HA HA HA!!"

"Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!"

"Shiva!!!"

**********

"Did you just hear something?!?!" Edgar suddenly cried, looking around frantically.

"Yeah...I heard it alright..." Locke trailed off.

"Even over the whirl of the machinery, you can still hear someone scream in here..." Celes shook her head as they marched over the steel floors of the facility. "It doesn't amaze me what-so-ever."

"How big is this place?" Cyan questioned. "Do you know any shortcuts, Celes?"

"The facility is several stories high." Celes replied. "But the only shortcut I can think of is riding the conveyer belts from each section of the facility to another until we find the corridor that will bring us upstairs."

"There is only one!?" Locke cried, and Celes nodded.

"It's for security purposes...I know how to get to the corridor, but it would be quicker taking the shortcut." Celes pleaded. "You guys have just got to trust me on this." Cyan raised an eyebrow.

"As long as it isn't dangerous." He said, and Celes nodded. She looked away from the Returners and took a deep breath, scanning the familiar surroundings. Although she had tried to block the Empire and anything that had to do with it out of her head since the day she was captured by them, she found that all of the secrets they had shared with her were seeping back into her mind, bringing back painful memories, but also giving them the key to finding the Espers... Celes felt her face turn a shade paler as she envisioned a younger version of herself walking down the halls with an escort of two Imperial Soldiers, remembering how the same pair would always be ordered to guard her when she would have to go into the facility for observations by the scientists there that had infused her body with the magic she possessed today. She remembered how she could practically hear the soldiers' shaking knees...she had known they were afraid of her...After all, she could eliminate them

in seconds if they did anything to make her angry. And at the time, that was exactly what she would do if she were provoked...

"Celes!" Locke said, and Celes blinked, snapping out of it. She let out a soft sigh and brought a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes for a moment to remind herself that she was no longer here under Imperial orders. She was here as a Returner.

"I'm sorry." Celes said quickly. "Let my memories get the best of me..." She raised her head and pointed ahead of them toward the center of the room they were in, to a large piece of pulsating machinery below the catwalk they were on. Steam rose out of it along with the sounds of grinding metal, and a conveyer belt rode into it empty, only to come out on the other side with various parts of Magitek Armor that had been freshly deposited on it from the machine. The conveyer belt then rode on under a cluster of metal beams and more machinery, disappearing from sight.

"We'll want to get on that." Celes said. "We'll ride until the end of the track, and proceed from there."

"Are we gonna jump?" Edgar questioned worriedly.

"No need to." Celes said, and walked to the edge of the catwalk. She leaned over the railing and pressed a small button. When she did so, a fairly large crane began to slowly descend down from above them, and Celes pushed the button again when it reached the railing of the catwalk, stopping it.

"Alright!" Locke exclaimed, and climbed onto the crane first. "Ready when you are!"

"Hold on." Celes replied, and pushed the button a third time. With that, Locke slowly made his way all the way down the catwalk to the conveyer belt, the crane stopping just above it. He gently hopped down and immediately sat down on his rear as the conveyer belt began to take him away.

"Yahooooo!" Locke exclaimed, before disappearing from everyone's sight.

"Who's next?" Celes questioned, and Cyan prepared to take his turn as she brought the crane back up to the catwalk. She could tell he was a little nervous, but she did nothing to soothe his nerves. It was his problem. Cyan climbed on and did exactly as Locke had, and soon disappeared as well. Edgar went next without a word or comment, and finally, Celes climbed on herself, straining her arm as she tried to reach the catwalk from the crane to make her go down. She sighed and leaned her head against the cold steel rope of the crane as she descended.

This is too easy...why hasn't anyone come yet?

**********

Setzer pushed his hair back behind his ears and raised his cup, taking another sip of steaming tea. As much as he tried, he couldn't help but think of the Returners, those silly stowaways who were probably getting slaughtered inside of the Magitek Research Facility right at that very moment. Who had they been? Oh yes... The young King of Figaro, Edgar Figaro, some kid named Locke Cole, who appeared to be a rogue of some sort, the knight of Doma Cyan Garamonde, who seemed way too uptight to be doing this sort of work, and Celes Chere, who seemed just as uptight if not more than Cyan. Setzer had seen her before...she had definitely been part of the Empire at one time or another. He smiled amusingly as he took another sip of tea, emptying his cup.

"Can't imagine how this is going to turn out." He chuckled some, and set the cup down on the craps table in front of him. "Although...it would have been fun to take a gamble and go with them..."

**********

Locke moaned as he clutched at his stomach and closed his eyes. All the wavering and dipping movements of the conveyer belt had been beginning to get to him. He couldn't hear anyone behind him, and he was beginning to wonder just how long this would take. For the last 5 minutes, he had been enclosed in a dark tunnel, with not a speck of light to see by. Suddenly, as if his prayers had been answered, Locke was suddenly thrust into a burst of light and with a thump, fell from the conveyer belt to the cold floor below. He moaned, rubbing at his sore rear as he blinked and adjusted to the change in his surroundings. He had definitely made it to the end of the conveyer belt into a new room. Behind him he spotted a flight of stairs that led up to a new catwalk. Ahead of him was a stack of crates and boxes, blocking most of his view. However, Locke's train of thought was interrupted by the squeal of a warning coming from something on the conveyer belt. He gasped and stumbled out of the way just in time before Cyan emerged himself and also fell to the floor. He groaned and shook his head as he opened his eyes, facing Locke.

"You ok?" Locke questioned, and Cyan nodded.

"Yeah, I just didn't want to fall on you." Cyan replied, and slowly stood to his feet. "So where are we now!?"

"I'm not sure..." Locke trailed off. "Better wait for the others to come before we do anything else."

"Agreed." Cyan nodded.

So Locke and Cyan waited until both Edgar and Celes had emerged from the conveyer belt before moving on. Edgar also met the same fate as his comrades by getting a sore bottom when he fell, but Celes had been resting on her knees, and jumped to the ground right before falling herself. She couldn't help but laugh when she got three pairs of dirty looks from her friends, their hands still nursing their injured behinds.

"Everyone ok?" Celes asked, but before anyone could grumble a reply, a pair of heavy footsteps could be heard pounding towards them. Celes gasped and looked around for a place to hide, and

Locke motioned that they could hide among the crates. With that, the team of Returners dived down, and Locke slowly pushed a crate aside to make a little place for him to see ahead of them. The footsteps got closer and closer until up and around the corner ahead of them emerged--

"Kefka!" Locke hissed, and Celes hit him on the arm to get him to shut up. Kefka gleefully set down the crate that was in his arms and tugged off the top, bending over to take out it's contents. He pulled out what appeared to be from a distance a blue skinned crippled body, and threw it on the floor. Celes gasped softly in shock, but couldn't bring herself to look away. The body was small and naked, in a crumpled heap upon the floor, it's light green hair sprayed everywhere. Kefka then reached down and pulled out another body, this one more muscular and almost resembling that of a cross between a human and a bull, throwing it to the floor on top of the girl by it's long horns.

"Espers...they must be Espers..." Locke murmured, and Edgar practically climbed on his back to see out the small viewing area too. Cyan remained pinned up against the crates, hardly daring to breathe. Kefka glared down at the mess in front of him and began to burst out into his usual maniacal laughter.

"I'm allllllllll powerful!" He exclaimed, shouting as if to announce it to the entire research facility. "HEE HEE HAW! I'm collecting Espers! I'm extracting magic! And....I'll restore...the STATUES! MWA HA HA HA!"

"Statues?" Locke whispered, and Celes blinked.

"I've drained you of your powers!" Kefka barked to the pair of bodies under his feet. "You're worthless to me now!" With that, he picked up the blue girl, and with one heave, threw her onto the small conveyer belt beside him. The conveyer belt sloped down at a dangerous angle and dumped her into a small pit in the floor. Other waste that came on the conveyer belt soon followed, falling down the pit also. Kefka heaved the other Esper on his shoulders and laughed as he threw it down on the conveyer belt also, watching it inch closer to the pit.

"And you...take a hike!" He grinned and waved as the Esper motionlessly fell to it's doom. Locke cringed and looked away as Kefka began to laugh again, and with that, left from the direction that he came. When the coast was clear, Edgar shook his head and stood up. Celes stood up also and wrapped her arms around herself, looking away from the others.

"So this is what they have been doing..." Edgar trailed off. "This is where Celes' magic, and possibly Terra's came from..."

"But what do we do now?" Cyan questioned nervously. "We can't follow Kefka..."

"There is no where else we can go though." Celes sighed. "That is the way to the science lab, where all those Espers are probably being held."

Locke sighed and stood up as well, running his fingers through his hair. "What about down there?" He pointed to the hole, and Celes looked to him.

"I'm not sure what's down there, exactly..." She trailed off.

"Then lets go that way." Locke said. "I mean, is there really a chance of us running into Kefka down there?"

"No..." Celes sighed. "There is not. But let me go first."

So, the Returners crept out from behind the crates and with a cringe, Celes took a leap and fell through the hole. She landed with a thump in a small room with dull lights hanging from the walls, and two doorways. It smelled of death and rot in there...she wasn't sure she wanted to confirm it, but she was sure that her surroundings consisted of various Esper body parts and skeletons, along with filthy syringe needles and other abandoned medical supplies. The scent of it all literally made her eyes water. She felt a shiver run up her spine though, and right then, she knew she wasn't alone in there. There was the sound of struggled movement, and out of a corner of the room emerged the two Espers Kefka had just dumped, the blue girl and the bull-man. Celes widened her eyes, but her scream was caught in her throat as the bull-man raised his claw and roared:

"FIRA!"

"AHHH!" Celes cried, and ripped her Runic Blade from her sheath, focusing all her energy into absorbing the spell. The roar of the flames that were about to envelope her were suddenly sucked into the blade, causing it to grow hot in her hands, but she knew that she must not drop it if she wanted her life to be saved.

"Celes!!!" Locke cried from above, hearing her scream. "I'm coming down!"

"Locke!" Edgar warned, but before he could say anymore, Locke leapt down the hole, falling right to Celes' side as her hands gave in to the burning sensations, letting the Runic Blade clatter to the floor as she fell backwards. Locke caught Celes and looked up at her attackers, gasping when he saw it was the two Espers from before.

"Wait, please!" Locke cried. Edgar and Cyan joined his side right then, each drawing their own swords. The bull-man snorted and the blue girl leaped ahead, crossing her arms over her chest as she began to chant a spell of her own.

"Gem Dust!" She called, and a rain of icy shards began pouring down upon the party, slashing at their clothes and armor. The others recoiled in pain, lifting their arms to block their faces and heads from the attack. Locke groaned as he leaned over Celes, taking the force of the attack for both of them. The ice continued pouring down, as if it were to never stop...

"We can't...let it end here..." Locke moaned, and closed his eyes as blood dripped from the cuts on his forehead. Suddenly, the Magicite shard around his neck began to glow, and a boom of thunder rumbled within the room, causing the remaining ice shards to shatter into dust in midair, ending the attack. The blue girl gasped and looked at her partner, who looked equally shocked. Locke weakly felt around on his chest for the Magicite shard, and felt the glowing orb between his fingers. All of a sudden, he knew what to do.

"Thundara!" Locke cried, and felt a charge of lightning run through his finger tips, awaking his senses as if they had been dormant for eternity. Several bolts of lightning began to strike from the ceiling of the room, striking the two Espers. They hissed and screamed from the electricity, taking a few steps back away from the group. Edgar gasped and watched his friend in shock.

"Locke knows magic!?" He cried, and suddenly felt his own Magicite shard begin to warm up and glow considerably. The Esper that had created the Magicite, Kirin, began to speak gentle words within Edgar's confused mind. Edgar closed his eyes and concentrated deeply on what it was he wanted to do, and felt a cool rush of power overtaking his body as he raised his hand in the air.

"Cura!!!" He shouted, and with that, sparking light began to pour upon the party, healing them completely of their wounds. Cyan closed his eyes and concentrated as well, learning what to do by observing the others. The spirit of his Magicite longed to escape it's bind...

"Stray, I summon thee!" Cyan cried, and in a burst of light, a large back and white cat emerged on the scene, letting out a happy meow. He bent down to polish his shiny red shoes before leaping into the air, wings making a brief appearance on the ends of his shoes. He began to dance about in the air, his spell entrancing the two Espers, causing them to stop both retreating further back and attacking. With a giggle and a wink, Stray disappeared in the blink of an eye, and Celes decided to take advantage of the stunned Espers by putting the icing on the cake. Reaching down, she grasped her Magicite and called out:

"Siren!"

Beautiful harp music and a haunting melody began to fill the room, filling it with hazy rainbow colors and dancing music notes. The sound of the ocean could be heard as Siren appeared, a tall beauty with long flowing blonde hair and piercing green eyes. She clutched at a golden harp and began to stroke it softly, closing her eyes as the notes and waves of rainbows in the air began to glow brighter, striking at the Espers. When her song was over, Siren looked to Celes with serious eyes, reaching her hand out to her. Celes took Siren's hand, as if entranced herself, and Siren disappeared, her harp clattering on the floor before disappearing also.

"....I feel her spirit within my body...!" Celes murmured. "It's like she has become apart of me..."

"I know all of Stray's spells as well!" Cyan cried, a little confused and delighted.

"I can heal, like Kirin!" Edgar stuttered, and Locke picked up his Magicite, clutching it within his fingers. He too, knew magic...It was as if Ramuh had given him a piece of his mind...

The two Espers, breaking from their confused state from Stray, prepared to cast another spell on the party, but when they opened their mouths, no sound came out, and no spell was cast. They looked at each other in shock and lowered their hands.

"Siren, one of our own...has cursed us so that we could no longer attack..." The girl trailed off. Her partner closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I sense a kindred spirit..." He stopped and the girl looked to the Returners, who stared right back at her.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"You have...Ramuh's power!?" The man added, and Locke nodded, not afraid to use it again if necessary. The girl saw the look of fright in his eyes and shook her head.

"Wait..." She sighed. "We're...Espers..."

"We figured as much." Celes replied coolly. "Why did you attack!?"

"Please forgive us." The girl said. "I am Shiva. This is Ifrit." Ifrit grunted in reply, still thinking. Shiva looked to him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"...Ramuh...he entrusted them with his power..." She trailed off and looked back to the Returners. "They drained us of our powers, and threw us away...now I am afraid we haven't long to live..."

"Gestahl has our friends and is trying to drain them of their powers as well." Ifrit suddenly said in his gruff voice. "I too, suffered my turn in one of the glass tubes... We will follow Ramuh's lead and entrust you with our own powers. Our friends are all gone...And we haven't much time left..."

"We'll save your friends!" Edgar cried. "I swear it!"

"We won't let this happen to anyone else..." Cyan added, and Ifrit nodded sadly.

"We have no choice...We must entrust you with our essences..."

Suddenly, in a flash of blinding and warm light, familiar to the light the Returners experienced in Zozo, Shiva and Ifrit disappeared, and in their place remained two floating green orbs. Locke slowly stood up and took them in his hands, pocketing them safely for now.

"Well...I suppose we are stuck now..." Cyan sighed, and Edgar looked around.

"Well, why don't we try one of these doors for an exit?" He questioned, and opened the one closest to him. However, it only appeared to be a closet of some sort, a dead end. Celes walked over to the other door and opened it, only to be faced with a long flight of stairs going up.

"Lets just go up here." She suggested, a slight tone of tiredness in her voice. Locke gave her a strange look, and with that, Celes began to proceed upward. Locke ran to catch up with her up the stairs, resting a hand on her shoulder when he reached her side. Edgar and Cyan trailed back a few feet behind, making sure that no one would try to follow them.

"Celes, is something wrong?" Locke questioned. Celes continued staring straight ahead, turning the corner to go up some more stairs.

"No...I'm just...ready for this to be over with..." She sighed. She shrugged away from Locke's hand and looked down at the floor. Locke blinked, but decided that he should just leave her alone, even though her strange behavior was beginning to get to him.

After a tiring 6 flights of stairs, the Returners finally made it to a new doorway. Locke opened it, and they found themselves in a long hallway adorned with tall, empty glass tubes. None of them appeared to be in use at the moment, but Locke could tell by the unusual amount of warmth in the room that they had been used recently. Steam rose off from some of the cooling machinery around the tubes. At the end of that hall they reached a new door, which brought them into a small room that was totally empty with the exception of another doorway, and a tall person guarding it. Celes gasped, thinking they had been caught by an Imperial Soldier, but when peered closer, she realized it wasn't anyone in the Empire, for they had no uniform. The figure was pale and his black eyes stared straight ahead of him, right towards the Returners. His hands were behind his back as well.

"Um, excuse me..." Edgar trailed off, but the figure did not move. It appeared to be totally frozen. Edgar slowly reached up to touch his shoulder, but gasped as the figure suddenly ripped one of it's arms out from behind it's back, which was actually a large sword! With a howl it swung it's sword-arm at Edgar, who managed to dive away just in time. It pulled it's other arm out of hiding too, which was identical to the first, and began taking slow steps towards the Returners, swinging it's arms rapidly back and forth. It's gaze remained fixed on the Returners, never moving.

"Ack!" Celes cried as she backed up a little. "What can we do?!"

"This room is too small to fight!" Cyan added, and suddenly, two familiar voices made their battle debut. It was Shiva and Ifrit.

"Let us help for this!" They exclaimed in unison. "Summon us!" Locke dug the Magicites out of his pocket quickly and threw them up into the air, calling Shiva and Ifrit's names. The two Magicites burst into the forms of their newest friends, and Ifrit made the first charge at the creature attacking the party.

"Inferno!" He growled, and a wave of flamed washed over the creature, making it howl again and stop walking for a moment, although it's blades continued to swing and slash uncontrollably. After using his attack, Ifrit disappeared, and Shiva took her turn.

"Gem Dust!!!!" She exclaimed, and the familiar pouring ice shards began to fall upon the creature, cutting it in several places, causing pale red blood to pour out from it and all over it's clothes and the floor. It's body soon began to shake in sharp convulsions, and after the last strike of Shiva's spell, burst into a glittering purple light and disappeared. The Returners looked to Shiva, who looked back to them worriedly.

"He was a creation of the Empire...an Esper they tried to fuse with another monster for more power...He was named Number 024...beware, you may find more of his kind. Beyond this door are our friends...he may have thought you were trying to attack them..." With that, Shiva's voice faded, and she disappeared as well, her form turning back into the Magicite that clattered to the floor along with Ifrit's. Locke scooped them back up and turned to the others, frowning.

"This is it you guys...be prepared for anything."

"Right!" Edgar exclaimed. "We're gonna free us some Espers!!!"

"Then we can go back to Terra." Cyan smiled, and Celes smiled a little herself.

"Yes, I am sure Terra is waiting for us."

"I just hope we find the Esper that can help her..." Locke trailed off worriedly. "Lets hope Kefka hasn't finished him off..."

With that, Locke turned his back to the group and opened the door 024 had been blocking previously. After Celes, the last member of the group in line stepped in, the door eerily slammed shut behind them. However, no one seemed to notice, as they were all entranced in their surroundings...

There were 6 more long glass tubes that filled the room, 3 on each side of the aisle that went down the middle. Each glass tube was filled with some sort of a liquid and within it floated an Esper...each one was as different as it's neighbor. Some resembled humans, like Shiva, and others resembled animals, like Ifrit. However, all of their eyes were closed, and their faces were twisted into most painful expressions...as if they were being slowly suffocated...

"The switch is up here!" Celes exclaimed, and with that, pushed past the others to run up the center aisle. At the end of it was a small brown machine with various gauges and levers on it. Celes pulled down one, and the Returners watched, a small aura of victory sparking from them as the waters in each tube drained away, and the Espers within were gently brought to the bottom of their tanks. The machine that Celes had switched off stopped humming, and at once, a chorus of voices began to speak from the glass tubes. It was the Espers!

"You want to help us... But we haven't got long to live... Just as Ifrit and the others before us, we shall give you our powers..."

With that, there was a flash of light, and the sound of shattering glass everywhere could be heard ringing throughout the room. When the light faded away, all of the glass tubes were broken, and in their remains floated 6 sparkling Magicite shards. They all began to float towards Locke, who's Ramuh Magicite began to glow softly from his chest. Once they were all gathered in his hands, the light faded completely, and the room returned back to normal with the exception of the broken glass tubes. Locke gasped, the feeling of warm, pulsating life in his hands almost too unbelievable to comprehend. Celes, Edgar, and Cyan all turned to him and smiled in approval. However, the peaceful moment was shattered when there was a sudden sound of pounding footsteps, and a short man appeared in the room from the left side, nearly fainting at the sight before him. He was wearing a yellow slicker with a hood on over his head, however, it did not hide his spectacled eyes nor his reddish mustache. He ran about the room, looking at all the broken tubes, ignoring the Returners for now. After inspecting the machine in the front of the room, he finally turned to the party, his hands on his hips.

"What are you doing here?!" He cried. "What's...all this!?" But before anyone could reply, his gaze darted from the Returners in general to the Magicite in Locke's hands, which had begun to fade a little.

"So...Esper magical power can only truly be transferred when one of them passes away..." He muttered to himself, and brought a hand to his chin in thought.

"...Professor Cid." Celes suddenly said, and he looked up to her, blinking as if he had just noticed she was there.

"General Celes!" Cid cried, and ran down towards her. "And who might these dubious characters be? Your troops???" Celes could not tell whether he was being sarcastic or not, but decided not to battle with it in her mind for much longer. She needed to explain to Cid what had happened to her...how the Empire had tried to execute her...It had been so long...

"No!" Celes cried hurriedly. "You see..." However, Cid cut her off, giving her a suspicious peer when he saw how quickly she had answered his previous question.

"Can it be true that you came here as a spy, seeking to cause an uprising?!" Cid suddenly questioned, and Celes gasped, bringing a hand to her chest and shaking her head frantically. However, Locke, Edgar, and Cyan all turned to each other, Locke's face being the palest among them. For a moment, he felt as if his heart had stopped right in his chest. No...as if time had stopped as well. He slowly turned away from his shocked friends and looked to Celes, who had whirled around to face him, her eyes wide. Locke took in slow breath and looked Celes right in the eye.

"....Celes?!" He finally managed to choke out. "You--" Celes was about to open her mouth to reply, when in a flourish of color and laughter, Kefka suddenly appeared from the door in which the Returners had came in, marching right up to Celes and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, jerking her closer to him. She gasped and yanked away, taking a step back from everyone. Kefka merely laughed and then turned to Cid, glaring.

"So that's it! Cid, you miserable blockhead!" He snickered and looked back to Celes, who was pressing herself up against one of the glass tubes. "Now, General Celes, the game is OVER! Bring me those Magicite shards! Mwa ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!" Celes shook her head and looked to Locke, who stared at her confusedly.

"Celes!" Locke cried, his voice wavering. "...You...deceived me...?" Celes narrowed her eyes as the pang of hurt from Locke's accusation stabbed at her heart strings.

"Of course not!" She cried. "Locke, have a little faith!" She looked back to Kefka as he began to laugh even louder.

"G'hee hee hee!" He squealed. "She has tricked you all! Celes....that's so..." He thought for a moment and grinned wickedly. "...YOU!" Locke gasped in horror, feeling the reality of the situation sink in. Edgar and Cyan looked down, too shocked to say anything, and too ashamed for falling into another one of the Empire's traps.

"Locke..." Celes moaned weakly, when she realized he did not believe her. She ran over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders as he had so often done to her, and peered into his eyes. "Please...you have to believe me..." Her eyes began to sting as he gazed at her for a moment and then turned his head.

"I...." Locke tried to say something, but he found that he just couldn't. He couldn't even look her in the eye anymore. The girl...the girl whose life he had saved in South Figaro...the girl who he had watched sing at the opera...the girl whose eyes he would so often find himself trying to analyze while speaking to her...the girl who had awakened lost feelings within him, feelings that had died with Rachel... She was fake. She wasn't real. She was a traitor. She was indeed as dead as Rachel herself.

She betrayed us...

She betrayed... me...

Why Celes...?

Locke jerked away from Celes' hands and turned his back to her completely. Celes choked and looked to Edgar and Cyan for help. Cyan merely glared at her, sending daggers through his eyes, and Edgar just shook his head at her, disappointed. Kefka rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips.

"I grow tired of waiting!" He snapped. "NOW! Exterminate all of them!!!!" Suddenly, a small group of Magitek pilots burst into the room from several different angles, shooting various beams of energy at the Returners in a surprise attack. Locke, Edgar, and Cyan all cried out in pain and agony as a fire beam ripped past them, striking them each and knocking them to the floor. Celes had managed to dodge out of the way behind Kefka, but looked onto the Returners worriedly as the Magitek Pilots prepared to unload another assault that would most definitely finish them off. Kefka snickered and turned to Celes, who glared at him hatefully.

"You lied!" She screamed at him. "You're a lying bastard! I never agreed to be your spy! You tried to KILL me before! Tell them the TRUTH!"

"Oh Celes, quit trying to put on a show!" Kefka whined in a high- pitch voice, giving her a slow wink as he grabbed her arm and thrust her into the firing range along with Locke and the others. Celes stumbled backwards and nearly fell on top of Locke, who was moaning and rubbing his spinning head, his eyes closed. The stinging in Celes' eyes increased as she kneeled down beside him, reaching out to slowly run her fingers through his hair. Her voice cracked as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"Locke...Let me protect you for once..." She sighed, and stood up shakily. "Maybe now...you'll believe me..." She reached down and removed her Magicite, slipping it around his neck before turning around to walk to Kefka's side. Locke groaned and opened his eyes, barely comprehending the words he had just heard her speak. His vision blurred with tears of hurt and pain as he tried to lift his head to see where she was going. He tried to call her name, but no sound came except for a struggled choke. The room began to shake violently from the revving of the Magitek Armors as they got ready to shoot out the finishing attack. Celes suddenly grabbed Kefka roughly by the arm and kneeled him in the stomach to stun him, buying the time she needed.

"ACK!" Kefka cried frantically. "CELES! What are you doing?! STOP IT!" Celes narrowed her eyes and suddenly began to chant in a harsh whisper, the tears in her eyes beginning to fade away. There was a sudden explosion of light, and Locke thought he was done for. He cringed and closed his eyes, praying that he wouldn't feel any pain, praying that at least his comrades would survive...

However, minutes past, and nothing happened. There was no burning flames, freezing ice beams, or shocks of lightning like he had expected. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened his eyes, and immediately gasped at what he saw...

...which was nothing.

There were no Magitek Pilots, no Magitek Armor, no Kefka, and no Celes. Everything had disappeared except for himself, Edgar, Cyan, and Cid, who was on the floor, shaking for dear life as if he were still anticipating the attack as well. Locke slowly stood up, realizing that all of his injuries were gone, and that there were now two Magicites around his neck. He looked back to Edgar and Cyan, who were making their recoveries as well. They both stood up and brushed off their clothes, looking around them.

"What the..." Edgar trailed off, and Cid suddenly jumped up, dashing about nervously.

"Oooh, Oooh, what happened?!" Cid cried. "Celes! Kefka!"

"Celes..." Locke whispered as he looked at the second piece of Magicite. ".....Oh Gods..." He moaned and closed his eyes, gripping the Magicite painfully. He wasn't sure of what had just happened, but he did know one thing.

Celes was gone.

He had forced her away.

Chapter Twenty-One - Terra, Daughter of Maduin, and Child of Miracles

A crash of glass and metal brought Locke back to reality, causing him to avert his gaze from the Magicite around his neck to his surroundings. The Magitek Research Facility was in shambles from all of the fighting. Fire had begun to engulf some of the machinery, and sparks flew from the broken glass tubes, causing them to rupture even more then they had been previously, turning them into sparking, melted masses of glass and steel. Chunks of the ceiling began coming down also, each engulfed in flames as it struck the cool steel floor. The floor was vibrating, and Locke felt as if they were in a combination of both an earthquake and a hurricane at that very moment. Cyan and Edgar ran to his side, each man grabbing one another's shoulder to keep from falling down. However, Cid was frantically running back and forth, obviously trying to fix what he could, but not doing a very good job at it. He stopped at long last and turned to the others frantically. The Returners had no idea what Cid had in store for them...

However, instead of challenging them to a fight, Cid pointed to his right, to a corridor not previously seen before because there had been a glass tube blocking it.

"This is a disaster!" Cid cried. "Your fighting has caused all the capsules and machinery to rupture! Come quickly, over here!" Cid began to run off towards the corridor, and Locke and the others turned to each other.

"Can we trust him?" Cyan questioned dryly. "Because I think I have had enough surprises regarding people's morale and character for one day." The sting of the words hit Locke full force, but he had to shake them off and go with his instincts.

"We gotta go you guys, or else we'll never make it out of here alive." Locke said. "If Cid tries to pull anything on us, we've got the Espers to protect us, right?" Locke held up the 6 new Magicites they had received, and handed two to Edgar and Cyan, who slipped them over their necks immediately.

"Locke is right, lets just get the hell out of here." Edgar said quickly, and was the first to run after Cid. Locke and Cyan followed, covering their heads with their arms from falling debris until they had reached Cid and Edgar. They were standing on a platform, and Cid was anxiously awaiting to throw the switch that was next to him. Locke and Cyan stepped on the platform too, and Cid threw the switch, causing the platform to vibrate a moment, but then it began to lower at a pretty smooth pace, taking Cid and the Returners away from the chaos of the Magitek Research Facility. Soon they were submerged in a dark metal elevator shaft, their only light coming from the dull red and blue safety lights that they passed every few feet down. Cid let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against a railing, taking a deep breath.

"So...it looks as if Kefka were using me...using the Empire as well." He began, and Locke, Edgar, and Cyan all turned to him, wondering where this was going.

"What have I done...?" Cid sighed. "The life-energy of those Espers..." He began to ramble to himself, looking down to the ground. "But you've helped me come to a decision! I'm going to talk to the Emperor and have this stupid war stopped!" Locke raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything in reply. Edgar and Cyan both looked at each other, and exchanged looks of disbelief.

A few moments later, the platform stopped, and the team stepped out into a dark room, seeing nothing except for a small mining cart and a set of tracks running from underneath it and down a long tunnel that Locke could only see a few feet of before it was completely submerged in darkness. Cid stepped off last and turned to the others, taking off his glasses, which appeared broken in one frame, beginning to rub the lenses with a small handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket.

"....Celes..." Cid began, and Locke felt his heart freeze in his chest.

"...I've known her since she was a baby...I raised her as if she were my own daughter! But she was forced to become a Magitek Knight, and has done some awful things. If I could talk to her now...I would have to apologize for the way her life has turned out."

"IF you could talk to her now?!" Locke suddenly cried. "Where is she, Cid?!?"

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Kefka's maniacal laughter suddenly echoed from above, making everyone jump 10 feet in the air. Cid gasped and shook his head.

"NO!" He cried, and pointed to the small cart. "It's Kefka! Please, GO!" Before Locke could realize what was happening, Edgar and Cyan grabbed him and threw him into the cart, pushing themselves off and down the track. They gained speed quickly, and soon it felt as if Locke were flying, which of course, was not good on his stomach.

"Where are we going?!" Edgar cried, and Cyan shook his head.

"Hopefully to an exit of some sort!"

"Ohhh...." Locke moaned and closed his eyes, sinking lower in the cart. "This is not good..."

Edgar played the lookout, being the tallest member of the Returners, and kept a hand on his forehead, hoping he could see better that way. The tunnel seemed to go on forever...he could not find any spots of light that would indicate an exit.

"Edgar, see anything?" Cyan asked, and Edgar shook his head.

"No...it's no good...looks like we're gonna have to keep riding..."

"Ugh!" Locke moaned. "I think I'm gonna lose my lunch!"

They continued on like that for several more minutes, Locke threatening to hurl the entire way, when suddenly, the cart came to a screeching halt, nearly tossing Edgar over, who was on point. He screamed and grabbed the end of the cart to keep himself from barreling over, while Locke and Cyan grabbed hold on his waist and legs. Edgar moaned and flopped backwards on top of Locke, a shudder passing through his body.

"Are you ok!?" Locke cried, and Edgar nodded slowly, his eyes shut.

"Why did we stop?" Cyan questioned, and a sudden low growl ripped out in the tunnel, answering his question. The growl came again, this time much louder and closer than previously, and all of a sudden, a huge mass of purple throbbing muscle appeared from the darkness, it's footsteps making the ground shake with each step. As it got closer to the group, Edgar and the others could see it's glowing yellow eyes and rather grotesque-shaped arms, which resembled a purple muscular version of 024's sword arms, being that they were shaped like slender blades. Locke closed his eyes and parted his lips to speak.

"I can sense that it has strong magic attributes...I bet it is the one who stopped our cart."

"We can't possibly fight it in such a small tunnel!" Cyan cried. "Come on, we're going to have to keep going!" With that, he reached out, and using his great strength, pushed the cart off again by pressing against the walls. The creature screamed and began to pound it's feet furiously as the team just managed to brush by it, and began it's trip down the tunnel once more. Locke turned and looked out the back of the cart, his eyes widening as the creature turned and began to pound after them. However, he was going far too slow, and before Locke knew it, he was out of their sight, far behind in the tunnel.

"Is he coming?" Cyan asked, and Locke shook his head.

"No, I think we're ok--"

But Locke was cut off by the sound of what sounded like metal crashing against rock, and the smell of burning rubber hit his nostrils, making him gag and cover his nose. Cyan noticed it too and made a face.

"What is that foul odor?" He moaned, and Locke gasped, pointing behind them. The creature was now coming at them full speed, his feet having mutated into one large rubber black wheel with spikes on the outside to crush any rocks in his way.

"Edgar, he's coming up behind us, and FAST!" Cyan cried, and Edgar looked back worriedly.

"We can't stop and fight! We're going to have to fight while moving!"

"But how?" Locke questioned, and Edgar lifted up one of his new Magicites.

"Espers!!" Edgar exclaimed, and tossed a shard in the air. "Bismark!!!! Please help us!!!"

The scenery around the Returners suddenly turned a hazy blue, and Edgar could swear that they were underwater. Bubbles began appearing everywhere, tickling the Returner's faces as they flew up and popped. When the bubbles began to clear out, a large blue whale began swimming towards them at full speed, opening it's mouth and letting out a low melancholy moan as it passed through the Returners, as if they were ghosts. The whale rammed right into the creature and disappeared in a burst of bubbles and water spray, causing the background to fade and become the normal tunnel once more. The impact caused the creature to stop for a moment to recollect it's wits, buying the Returners more time to escape. However, as it was doing so, the claws of the creature began to glow a faint red, and it released a Fira spell, sending it hurling towards the cart.

"Carbunkle!" Cyan cried, and a tiny green animal appeared that half resembled a cat and a bunny. It let out a little squeak and the ruby jewel on it's forehead began to shimmer, causing a blue barrier to glow around the frames of Locke, Edgar, and Cyan. The animal disappeared just as the flames hit, but because of his protective spell, the flames bounced of the Returners and went hurling back to the creature, scorching it badly.

"Thanks Cyan!" Locke exclaimed gratefully, and Cyan did a little bow. "Now I'll finish him off! SHOAT!!!"

The phantom image of a large, overgrown warthog appeared, running towards the creature and right through the Returners as Bismark the whale had. He had a golden nose ring that glimmered, two large blood-stained tusks, and only one eye, which was beginning to glimmer and sparkle as it neared the creature. Shoat let out a victory snarl and blinked it's eye at the creature. The creature began to scream as it's body slowly became covered in stone, petrifying it from the head down. At last, the stone spell reached it's wheel, causing the now stoned creature to topple over to the ground, shattering into hundreds of pieces before fading in pale red light. Shoat disappeared as well, signifying the end of the battle.

"....Whew!!!" Edgar exclaimed, and laughed a little. "Thought we were goners there!"

"I think it was another one of those monsters Shiva warned us about." Locke said thoughtfully. "I hope he's the last..."

"At least we brought him peace." Cyan sighed some, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now if only we could escape from this tunnel..."

"AHHH!"

The Returners all screamed in unison as they suddenly came into contact with something cold and hard, plowing right through it and emerging into bright sunshine, which caused everyone to groan and close their eyes. Locke opened his eyes into small slits, seeing that they had just crashed

through a pair of double doors, and were speeding down the same path they had taken to get into the factory. They were back in Vector!

"ACK!" Edgar cried as the cart came to a screeching halt at the end of it's line, throwing everyone that was in it out onto the walkway. Stunned, no one moved for a few moments until there came a pair of pounding footsteps towards them.

"Oh no, Imperial Soldiers..." Locke moaned.

"Hey!" A voice suddenly cried, causing Locke to peel his head up from the ground and look up. There, his hands on his hips and his brows furrowed in worry, was...

"Setzer!" Edgar suddenly burst out, leaping up from the ground. "What in the Gods good grace are you doing here?!"

"I was starting to worry..." Setzer admitted. He looked about the spilled Returners to make sure that no one had gotten seriously injured, and blinked at seeing only three people. Cyan got up as well and began to assist Locke.

"What's up with Celes?" Setzer questioned, and looked to Locke, who bit his lip and looked away. Cyan looked up from Locke and gave Setzer a look that read "Not now." Setzer nodded and jerked his thumb back to where he had came.

"We'll talk about all this later. Lets get the hell out of here, ok!?" With that, Setzer began to lead the others back to his airship, which he had parked in front of Vector's gates for quick escape.

**********

"DAMNIT!" A high-pitched voice screeched, and the crashing of many thrown objects could be heard. "What a mess!" Kefka growled and turned away from the helmet he had thrown against a wall in the northern look-out chamber of the Imperial Palace, and looked out a small window. He could see that airship, the Blackjack, making a hasty exit from Vector. All of a sudden, it came to Kefka that the Blackjack was now associated with the Returners, probably carrying a whole load of those bastards as he watched it take off before his very eyes!

Still stunned from the incidents in the Magitek Research Facility, Kefka rubbed his head and tried to think of a quick plan to stop them from going anywhere. Taking care of General Celes had not been good enough. He needed the others, felt a longing in his blood to grab hold of their necks and wring them over and over until they practically begged for death, especially the thieving bastard Locke Cole, whom had been causing trouble for him ever since the start of the Returners' counter-attacks against the Empire. Kefka had to let out a little laugh, remembering the look on Locke's face in the Magitek Research Facility when he had announced Celes' true intentions.

"What a Kodak moment!" Kefka giggled, and suddenly shook his head. "But how am I going to..." He looked about the room and suddenly spotted what he was looking for, an evil smile curling over his lips.

"Oh yes...THAT will be the way..."

*********

"Lets not overstay our visit." Locke instructed nervously as Setzer scrambled about to get everything ready for take-off.

"Right!" Setzer agreed, and stopped at the wheel of the ship, thinking for a moment. "Speaking of which...maybe we should be leaving."

With a spin of the wheel, the Blackjack began to rise in the air slowly but steadily, the engines within revving up and beginning to emit a soft purr throughout the decks. Edgar and Cyan were also on the upper decks, keeping a lookout to make sure no flying Imperial machines were heading their way. However, something suspicious was coming out of the northern tower of the Imperial Palace, which was not so far away anymore since Setzer was directing the ship to fly over it. As Edgar peered closer, he could see that this suspicious thing was actually a pair of things, but before he could say anything, they suddenly shot up at the ship in blinding speed, crashing into the sides and clinging so that the ship couldn't go anywhere! Setzer gasped as the wheel froze, and whirled around.

"What is happening?!" He cried, but right then, the tops of the metal things slid open and out shot a pair of clamping cranes, which flew up and over the deck, clenching onto the ends of the ship with their claws tightly. Ever so slowly, the Returners could feel themselves being pulled down from the air!

"They've got us hooked and ready to reel in!" Locke cried, and Cyan pulled out his sword.

"It looks like we'll have to destroy them ourselves." He said, and Edgar nodded, pulling out a new tool, a chainsaw. Locke blinked and put his hands on his hips.

"Edgar, I don't understand where you keep all those things." He said, and Edgar laughed.

"Here and there!" He exclaimed, and Setzer's jaw dropped.

"Could you guys get to hacking at those damned machines before they pull us to our doom?!" He screamed, and Edgar and Locke jumped in surprise.

"Right!" Edgar cried, and ran to the western crane, beginning his work there. Locke put his hands together and began to chant a Thundara spell, while Cyan helped Edgar. After casting the spell, the

crane Locke had struck began to shudder and smoke, a good sign. Setzer, watching everything that was going on about him, walked over to Locke and peered at him.

"Was that just magic?" Setzer questioned dumbly, and Locke looked to him.

"...Yes." Locke admitted. "But you don't look so surprised."

"I knew there was something weird about you kid, at least I finally figured it out!" Setzer exclaimed, and Locke smiled a little. Setzer suddenly reached down in his pocket, and pulled out a deck of cards. Locke blinked as he began to shuffle them.

"Um...Setzer, I'm not exactly in the mood for a game..." Locke began, and Setzer laughed, cutting the deck and taking a few cards off the top of it, putting the rest in his pockets.

"Not a game Locke, just a little trick!" Setzer exclaimed, and with that, threw the cards he had selected towards both of the cranes. The crashed into the cranes with the force of a weight and stuck inside them, making both cranes sputter and spark. Locke's jaw dropped as Setzer smiled smugly.

"Cards are my life!" Setzer exclaimed. "It's only natural that I should use them as my weapon too, eh?" Locke laughed and shook his head, turning to cast another Thundara spell.

With Setzer's aide, the battle against the cranes did not take long, which was a relief to all who had just crawled out of a battle with the creature in the railway tunnel. He managed to disable any counter-attacks they might of had with his cards, and the Returners made short work of them with spells and attacks. When the last crane exploded in a fiery mess and fell away from the ship, Setzer took the wheel again and began flying upwards, higher and higher, until Vector was no longer in sight, and all one could see was clouds. Meanwhile, down below, back in the Imperial Palace, Kefka was throwing another hissy fit...

"DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT! I'LL GET YOU YET, YOU SLIMY, MENACING, DISGUSTING, VILE, LITTLE SONS OF...SUBMARINERS!"

***********

On the airship, Locke and the others were recovering from their long morning as Setzer put the ship on autopilot and walked over to the three Returners, who were all sitting down on the upper deck and taking a breather. Setzer slowly sat down beside Locke and looked over at him.

"What's on your mind?" Setzer asked, and Locke looked to him tiredly.

"I'm worried about everyone." He replied, and Setzer blinked.

"Huh, everyone? You mean there are more of you?!"

"A few more." Edgar smiled, and Setzer shook his head.

"And where are they, pray tell?"

"Two are in Narshe, and one is in Zozo..." Cyan trailed off, and Setzer thought for a moment.

"I suppose we should pick them up then, huh?" He said, and Locke raised his eyebrows.

"I thought you weren't interested in helping us." He replied, and Setzer laughed.

"No no, don't think that way! I lost my bet with Celes, and I was indeed entitled to helping you get to Vector. But I'm afraid things got interesting, and now I would like see how everything turns out..."

"This isn't a game though!" Locke suddenly cried, much to everyone's surprise. Setzer raised his eyebrows as Locke continued. "This is war, Setzer! Do you understand that?! There may be even more sacrifices than what we have already had to give!! Do you know what I'm talking about?" Setzer blinked and it all suddenly sunk in, the reason why Celes had disappeared.

"Locke...is Celes...."

"...I don't know if she's dead or alive." Locke moaned, and covered his face. "I honestly don't. Please, don't make me think about her." Setzer sighed, and Edgar slipped an arm around his best friend's shoulders, trying to comfort him the best he could.

"Listen Locke, I know there's danger." Setzer said in a kinder tone. "I know what is going on, how serious things have gotten with the Empire. But I also know that I cannot just stand around and do nothing about it. I have spent far too many years doing nothing, and ignoring what was around me. Call it a defense mechanism, if you will." Locke looked up, blinking the small tears that had appeared in his eyes away. Setzer peered at him with his soft blue-violet eyes, and smiled a little. "But I do know what sacrifice is...even know what it feels like...and yet, I am still wanting to help you. Come on, can you really tell me you don't need more help? Besides, I've got the world's only airship. The Blackjack can take you much farther than anything you can imagine. You can reach the ends of Heaven with my ship!!" Locke smiled some and stuck out his hand, which Setzer took and shook vigorously.

"Welcome to the Returners, Setzer Gabbiani..."

**********

On the way to pick up the others in Narshe, Locke, Edgar, and Cyan explained everything to Setzer that had happened to the three of them in the past week, including Locke's running away from Narshe with Terra, Figaro Castle's grand escape from Kefka's troops, Edgar's adventures down Lete River trying to defend Banon, Locke escaping with Celes from South Figaro, and Cyan meeting up

with Sabin and Gau, only to lead to the big battle with Kefka in the snow fields in Narshe, where they talked to the Esper and Terra disappeared. Setzer mostly listened and didn't say much, which Locke figured was because everything seemed too unbelievable to well...believe. But after the Returners were done telling their story, and they had parked the Blackjack outside of Narshe's gates, Setzer finally cleared his throat and said something as they were climbing off the ship to get Sabin and Gau.

"...I can't believe you guys have been doing all of this...and in my past week, I've been flying around and sipping drinks and gambling, thinkin' that my biggest problem was about whether or not I'd be able to have my meeting with Maria...heh..."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment to our work." Edgar said jokingly, and Setzer laughed a little.

"You may do just that." Setzer smiled, and gestured for the others to follow him below deck so that they could exit the airship.

Back at Arvis' house, Sabin and Gau were shocked to see Locke, Edgar, Cyan, and Setzer. By the time they had arrived in Narshe it was the early afternoon, and the two Returners were both just rousing from their deep sleeps when Arvis had come in to announce the visitors. Locke, Edgar, Cyan, and Setzer were seated in the parlor when Gau and Sabin came running in to see them.

"Big brother!" Sabin exclaimed happily. "Welcome back!" Sabin looked around and suddenly, his big smile melted into a slight frown. "....Hey...where are Terra and..."

"CYAN!" Gau suddenly exclaimed, and took a flying leap on top of the poor knight, knocking him to the floor and nearly knocking him unconscious as well. Setzer blinked in surprise and Locke nervously inched away from the attacking Gau. Edgar stood up and walked over to Sabin, his expression somber and nearly identical to his brother's. Sabin looked him up and down and put his hands on his hips.

"Edgar...What happened?" Sabin asked quietly. "Where are Terra and Celes? And who is that silver haired guy?"

"We haven't gotten Terra back quite yet." Edgar replied. "Although that is why we came here in Narshe. We figured it would be best for Terra if all the Returners were together when she woke up. We think we may have the key to her revival."

"That's great." Sabin smiled a little more. "So is Celes waiting with Terra back in Zozo?" Edgar shifted his weight on his other foot nervously and crossed his arms over his chest. He was beginning to feel the guilt he knew Locke must of been drowned in back from the Magitek Research Facility, and he didn't know how to explain to his brother what had happened. They would later have to explain it to Terra as well...

"Celes isn't here anymore." Edgar finally said, but before Sabin could open his mouth to ask any questions, Edgar went on. "There was an incident. I'm not sure if Gau would understand or not, but when Terra wakes up she'll want to know where she is too, I am sure. When we're all together again, I'll explain, ok?" Sabin blinked and sighed.

"Alright Edgar, I suppose that is best."

"I knew you would understand... But by the way, that man over there is Setzer Gabbiani, the only man in the world who has possession of an airship. It's what we used to get over here so quickly."

"An airship?!" Sabin gasped in surprise. "I didn't know such things really existed!"

"Well they do!" Edgar smiled. "Come on Sabin, I'll show it to you! Setzer! Lets go to Zozo now!" Setzer stood up and gave a salute, laughing.

"Alright, I'll meet you guys outside!" He exclaimed, and waved as he walked out the door. Arvis came in the parlor right then with a tray of tea, which he could immediately tell he had made for no reason from the bustle of everyone getting ready to leave.

"Are you going?" Arvis questioned, setting the tray down.

"We're going to get Terra!" Gau suddenly burst out, jumping up and down on the couch. "Terra Terra Terra!"

"Oh? How wonderful!" Arvis exclaimed. "But please, after you find Terra, please come back here! The Elder is worried about her too you know, as am I."

"Of course, we'll all return to Narshe as soon as Terra feels well." Locke smiled. "I am sure she wants to see wants to see everyone again."

**********

On the way to Zozo, everyone's spirits had risen considerably, and all of the new introductions between Setzer and the other Returners showed promise of new friendships right away. Gau seemed to be especially thrilled over everything that was happening around him, and disappeared as soon as he could manage to explore the massive Blackjack on his own. Setzer taught Sabin how to fly the ship, and Locke, Edgar, and Cyan gazed out over the decks, Locke pointing out some places he had once explored for treasure and telling them the stories behind the expeditions.

At last, the Blackjack reached Zozo, the skies over it still darkened and threatening rain at any moment. However, that was not enough to bring anyone down as Setzer carefully landed over the building that Terra was in, and put the airship in auto-suspension.

"I'm going to lower a rope, and we'll be able to climb to the balcony that leads to where this Terra girl is at." Setzer grinned. "Clever, eh?"

After Gau had been found (wandering the engine room of the ship), the team climbed down the rope Setzer had lowered, and crowded on the balcony where they had previously challenged Dadaluma. Edgar was the last to climb down, and as soon as he had landed safely on the balcony, Locke reached out to open the door, the Magicite shaped lock on it suddenly shattering underneath his fingertips. Locke blinked and opened the door, and everyone calmly filed inside the long hall that led to Terra's bed. Locke was the first to see her, and smiled in relief to see that she was still safely there and looked at peace. Everyone gathered around the bed, but Setzer himself looked especially surprised at the pale figure resting upon it. He had maybe thought this Terra girl was human, but...

"We're all here..." Edgar trailed off. "But I don't understand what were are to do next..." Right then, a piece of Magicite began to glow that was around his neck, and slowly raised up and over his head, floating over to Terra.

"The Magicite!" Locke cried, and it began to glitter and turn the room a soft blue color, causing Terra to moan softly and slowly sit up as she reached up and rubbed at her forehead with her white hand. She slowly opened her red eyes and looked up at the Magicite floating above her, reaching up to touch it. As soon as her fingertips brushed the Magicite, the light in it died and it fell to the bed in her lap with a small "thump". Terra blinked and picked up the Magicite, holding it between her fingers as she parted her lips.

"Father...?" She whispered, and the Returners all stared at her. Terra raised her eyes from the Magicite and looked up at her friends, a small smile on her face.

"I remember everything." She smiled more. "My name...is Terra Branford. I was raised in the Esper World."

Chapter Twenty-Two - Madonna, Keeper of the Ruby Pendant

"...The Esper World..." Locke trailed off, his voice barely audible as he repeated Terra's words. At that moment, all the Magicite the Returners possessed began to softly glow in unison, including the piece in Terra's lap. The scenery about them began to fade away, and replaced the dreary, drippy Zozo apartment with a warm, cozy scene of a small village with little bridges that crossed the rivers and spacey hilltops adorned with flowers and little people running about, screaming and laughing. The homes scattered throughout the village were simple and looked as if they had been pulled out of a story book. The sky was a soft blue, and clouds lazily hazed in with the pale smoke that was coming out of all the houses' chimneys. A rather large cave could be seen tucked behind everything else, it being the only dark and looming presence in the whole village.

Is this the Esper World? Locke thought to himself. The place my Grandmother always told me stories about?

The magic of the Espers is letting us see their world! Edgar's thoughts raced excitedly.

I feel like a ghost...No one can see us. Setzer closed his eyes and reopened them slowly to make sure this was real.

Suddenly, a new figure appeared in the scenery, running down a long path that appeared to lead to the exit of the village, and turned a corner, nearly running into a tall figure that could only be an Esper. The first Esper bowed in apology to the bigger one, and pointed worriedly to the path he had been running down.

The Espers...they look nearly human. Cyan noted to himself. Actually, they look a lot like Terra does now...

"Maduin, just the esper I wanted to see!" The running Esper cried. "There's an emergency! Something is coming through the gate!" Maduin looked shocked and reached up to straighten the beautiful jeweled head piece he was wearing.

"I'll go investigate." Maduin finally replied, and patted the shoulder of the smaller Esper as he took off running down the long path, finally reaching the looming cave in the back of the village. Heaving the rock door open, Maduin stepped inside and looked about. The cave was dark, and the only thing in it was a long rope bridge that led from the door to the Esper's World to the other side of the cave, where the Humans lived. However, sunlight was now pouring from the door of the Humans, and lying there, collapsed in a mess of golden hair and red silk cloth was a young human girl. Maduin blinked and crossed the bridge to investigate, both frightened and entranced at the same time. He slowly reached down to brush her hair from her face, the light now falling upon her closed eyes and soft pink cheeks. Maduin felt a flush of embarrassment come over him as the first thought that came into his mind was "She is breathtakingly beautiful." However, Maduin had been taught better than to submit to what pleased the eye rather than what pleased the soul and the benefit

of others, so he carefully took a step back and stared down upon her with clearer, wiser eyes, trying to decide what step of action he should take next.

"Listen well, and think clearly!" Maduin said aloud to remind himself. "What will you do?" He sighed and looked down at the floor of the cave, his silver white hair falling in his eyes. He couldn't just leave her here, she would surely end up dying. But if he took her back, what would the other Espers say? Humans were hated in the village...it was known that all they caused was destruction and corruption.

But this was just one girl.

She couldn't do anything...could she? Not in her injured state...

"Alright, in you go." Maduin sighed and reached down, picking up the girl and resting her over his shoulder as he carried her back to the village.

**********

"She's still pretty weak. Better let her rest here for a moment." Sairys said, a young Esper with light blonde hair that was pulled into two buns. She was a type of fairy Sylph Esper with little delicate blue wings that matched her dress, and she was also very kind hearted, so Maduin was sure to bring the human to her house. However, Sairys' husband, a brute Esper named Ran, was like her polar opposite, and not happy with Maduin's guest being in his home.

"You'd better do away with it!" He barked. "Humans and Espers are incompatible!" Maduin looked to him worriedly, and right then the door of the house flew open, and the village elder came in, an elderly Esper named Tenteki, and approached Maduin slowly.

"Did I hear there was a human here?!" He asked, a mix of fear and excitement in his tone. Maduin pointed to the girl and shrugged.

"Probably wandered in here by mistake..."

"Ohhh...."

The Espers in the room gasped as the girl suddenly emitted a low moan, and began to open her eyes, which were a sparkling amber color. She slowly reached up to feel what was on her forehead, a damp cloth that Sairys had provided, and turned her head to face Sairys, who was smiling at her brightly. Maduin turned around, ignoring Tenteki, and walked over to the girl, who was now sitting up in bed and holding the cloth to her forehead. Maduin gave the others a look, and at once, Sairys, Ran, and Tenteki filed out of the home to leave them alone.

"Did I wake you?" Maduin asked, and she shook her head. Her eyes slowly trailed over his body to the beautiful ruby pendant resting around his neck. It was like nothing she had ever seen before!

"You're...an Esper?" She suddenly asked, and Maduin nodded. She smiled a little and reached out, gently brushing the jewel of the pendant with her fingertips.

"What is this pendant?" She asked excitedly, and Maduin was so happy that she was awake and speaking, he stopped listening to his inner, more conscientious self and reached down, pulling the pendant up and over his neck, handing it to her.

"It's yours now!" Maduin smiled. "It helps protect the Esper World." The girl widened her eyes a little and looked up at Maduin in disbelief as she gripped the pendant tightly.

"Esper World...boy, did I take the low road or what?" She suddenly asked, and laughed a little. Maduin blinked, not getting the joke, but suddenly joined with in her laughing, just because it was so addictive. However, he knew that he had to get to more serious issues with the girl before the other Espers burst in on them again and start firing questions to her their own way.

"The Espers are pretty upset...you being a human and all..." Maduin trailed off, and the girl blinked.

"And you...you are the one that saved me?"

"Well, yeah...I am Maduin..."

"I'm Madonna!"

"Madonna...I tired of living in the human world....It is filled with desire, greed, and loathing...It's highly infectious. But sometimes I wonder...are Humans and Espers really so different?" However, Madonna looked slightly hurt, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So, I'm an example of all the evil in this world, huh?" Madonna asked, and Maduin jumped a little.

"No! I mean..."

"I'll return to my world tomorrow!" Madonna cried, and flopped back down in her bed, pulling the covers up over her head. Maduin gulped and rested a hand on his hip. He didn't know quite what to say. Finally, he sighed and looked down at the floor.

"You'll need a guide..."

**********

The next day, Maduin slept in later than he had planned, and it was the mid-afternoon sun that finally woke him from his slumber. He sat up and yawned, reaching up to rub his eyes. He had spent all of the previous night thinking of that human, Madonna... Her name had been on his lips and the lips of every other Esper in the village all night, and the sound of it made his heart race and

ache all at once, in a way he had never imagined one could feel. He couldn't understand what was wrong with him...why, he had even given her his pendant, one of the most sacred treasures he had ever owned! Her eyes had danced so delightedly when he handed it over, and it had made his heart soar. But Maduin suddenly remembered that Madonna was planning on making her leave today, and that he had promised to take her home. He let out a low moan and leaned back against the headboard of his bed, looking up at the ceiling sadly.

"I wonder...if this is what they call...love..."

"WHAT!? The human is gone?!"

"What the hell?!" Maduin cried, jumping out of bed and running outside of his small home, where Tenteki and Sairys were arguing right out front, and loudly enough for everyone to hear who wanted to. Tenteki looked up at Maduin and waved his staff frantically.

"Madonna disappeared!" He cried, and Maduin blinked. He was too shocked and saddened to say anything in reply.

"How did a human girl in her condition make it all the way through the gate?" Sairys questioned, and with that, Maduin took off running as fast as he could, on the path to the gate that separated the Esper World from the World of the Humans... Along the way, he could hear other Espers whispering and gasping in frightened tones.

"If this generation of humans knew about out abilities... And decided they wanted to utilize our powers... It would be a total disaster!"

"Everyone here's feeling uneasy."

"The link between worlds has surely weakened over the past 1000 years."

"Why has this happened now after all these years?"

Huffing and puffing, Maduin finally reached the gate and pushed past the guard for the day, which was his youthful friend from yesterday, who's name was Yura.

"Maduin, wait, what's wrong?!" Yura cried, but Maduin merely grunted a reply as he shoved open the gate door and ran inside the cave, nearly crying out in joy when he saw Madonna, who was heavily struggling and gasping with the door to her own world. She finally gave up, letting out an exasperated breath, and leaned back against the door as she slowly slid down until her rear hit the rocky floor of the cave. She began to sob quietly in the lap of her dress as she pulled her knees up to her chest. Maduin took in a deep breath and walked over across the bridge to her slowly, not wanting to startle her. However, even his gentle footsteps were not quiet enough in the echoing cave, and Madonna looked up, rubbing her cheeks furiously to banish her tears.

"What?!" She sniffled, and Maduin stopped a few feet in front of her, his eyes falling on the pendant now resting around her neck, the ruby jewel resting right above the neckline of her dress.

"Uhhh..." Maduin struggled for a few moments, until he finally cleared his throat and spoke.

"If you don't want to go back to your world...you may stay here."

"But..." Madonna blinked and looked up at Maduin, not really knowing what to say. "But...humans and Espers...they can never coexist...!" She let out a small gasp as Maduin suddenly stooped down and wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her close against his chest. Madonna blinked again and slid her arms around his waist, nuzzling her head against his soft hair as he slowly stood up with her and pushed her hair away from her eyes.

"....How do we know...unless we observe for ourselves...?" Maduin smiled softly as he gazed into Madonna's eyes, his heart beating so hard he thought it would echo throughout the cave like any other sound. Madonna smiled in return and reached up, touching the pendant on her neck with her fingertips as she leaned in slowly and closed her eyes.

...How do we know...

Maduin leaned in as well and slowly ran his fingers through her hair, gently tilting her head back.

...Unless we...

Madonna murmured Maduin's name as his lips pressed to hers, firm and yet with touch as light as a feather as their embrace around each other tightened, waking and enlightening every sense in their bodies as the kiss deepened, and everything in the setting around them disappeared with the exception of each other's presence. Her lips, his touch, their love was all they could both see, smell, feel, hear, and taste.

...Observe for ourselves...?

The scene began to fade in darkness, causing the Returners to all blink and look about.

"Is it over?" Locke asked, a little stunned. As if to answer his question, the scenery about them began to fade back in, and the Returners found themselves back in Maduin's house, with him pacing and jumping about happily as Madonna sat up in bed, holding a squirming bundle of blankets in her arms with Sairys cooing over her excitedly. The baby girl was curiously tugging at a pendant that had been placed around her neck by her mother.

"...I've decided on a name." Maduin said, and Madonna and Sairys both looked over at him.

"What is it dear?" Madonna asked happily, and Maduin grinned.

"Terra! Not bad, huh?"

**********

The scenery faded once more, and the constant ticking of a clock could be heard as the Returners continued to observe, realizing that time was now flying past them. The Esper World resurfaced once more, only this time, things were different... Drastically different...

Imperial Soldiers were now pouring inside the village through the Gate, screaming and shouting at one another as they pulled out swords and crossbows, shooting at every Esper they could find. The Espers were screaming and crying too, some dying in the streets while others fled for their lives. The village was in complete chaos, and flames began to erupt on the straw roofs of some homes thanks to the Imperial Soldiers, who would smoke out the Espers in hiding.

"Humans!!!"

"The nexus between our worlds has opened again!!"

"The wind... so odd... just like two years ago... But everything's different now..."

"Troops have come seeking our magical power!"

"Blast it! They've made it as far as the Elder's house!" An Esper screamed, as the Imperial Soldiers broke down Tenteki's door to his little house and streamed inside, the sound of furniture being destroyed ringing out everywhere. While the Imperial Soldiers were busy in the town, one last lone figure emerged from the gate, a tall, ancient in appearance man with heavy black and red robes and a matching hat. He had long, almost dirty pale blonde hair that tumbled down his back and dangled from his beard, and while it was tidy and kept nice, it still seemed to almost consume all of his wrinkled, bitter face. His eyes were as dark as a black marble, and his mouth was pressed together in a straight line. Taking small steps out of the gate, his mouth suddenly curled into a small smile, and he began to chuckle to himself madly.

"Aha! We've finally found it! Those ancient writings told of this world, and described the awesome magical properties of these beasts!" He laughed louder and cupped his hands over his mouth to make himself heard among the chaos. "Grab them! Riches to any man who captures an Esper! GO!"

Meanwhile, in Ran and Sairys' house, Madonna, Maduin, and Tenteki (who had luckily not been in his house when it was attacked) were discussing what they could do to stop the humans. Ran and Sairys had gone outside to fight, but had not come back yet. Terra had just gotten done wailing uncontrollably from all of the commotion and screaming outside. Madonna cradled the infant in her arms and tried to soothe her the best she could.

"Terra's alright..." Madonna murmured as Terra began to slide her eyes shut. At that moment, Ran burst in the house, a worried expression on his face.

"Soon the humans will arrive!" He cried. "Sairys and I can't hold them off much longer!"

"We've no choice..." Tenteki trailed off and sighed. "We must do what we've been avoiding..."

"You mean...the magic barrier?" Maduin blinked, and Tenteki nodded.

"Here's the plan: We'll cause a tempest that will sweep all the nasty creatures out of our realm. Then we'll seal the gate... I am the last of our kind that is able to cast this magic seal, so we must do it immediately."

"But in your state, you just might..." Maduin began, but Tenteki interrupted him.

"...Pass away....yes, but at least we will finally be safe." Maduin looked as if he were trying his best to hold back tears as Madonna spoke up.

"I, for one, will not miss the other side." She said firmly, and Maduin turned to her worriedly.

"Madonna...."

"Lets do it!" Tenteki cried. "We really have no other choice." With that, the Elder made his leave of the others, without even saying his good-byes.

"AHHH!" Ran suddenly cried, and Maduin and Madonna turned to him, only to face his angry glare. Ran crossed his arms over his chest and glowered heavily at them, especially Madonna and Terra.

"This is all because of that human girl!" Ran screamed, and Madonna turned white while Maduin leaped from his chair in shock and anger.

"Nonsense!" He cried in Madonna's defense.

"I'm SURE she helped the others find us." Ran added bitterly.

"Get a grip on yourself!" Maduin cried worriedly. "Madonna is one of us!"

"NO! She's one of THEM!" Ran screamed, and shook his head. "Soon she'll be wearing our hides!" At this final remark, Madonna let out a struggled cry and suddenly leaped up, pulling Terra close to her chest as she pushed past Maduin and Ran and burst from the house, taking off as fast as she could towards the gate. Ran blinked in surprise while Maduin let out a growl and pushed past Ran as well to go after her. But by the time Maduin had managed to get to the gate after clearing all the Imperials in his way, the Elder was there, his hands locked together as he began to cast the spell. A low moaning sound began to emit from the mountain gate as gusts of winds began to form within it, creating a small sucking tempest that gained strength by the second. Maduin was almost carried off

of his feet as he rushed towards the tempest, and the Elder gasped, dropping his hands when he saw that Maduin was heading for the gate.

"Where are you going?!" Tenteki cried, and Maduin looked back to him.

"Madonna is getting drawn into the next world...!" He struggled to cry over the winds.

"Impossible!" Tenteki screamed. "It's too late! I've already began casting the barrier! There is no turning back!"

No! Maduin thought alarmingly. There is no way I can leave Madonna behind! I can't let her and Terra go back! They belong here with me...the two people I love the most belong here with me, in OUR WORLD!

"...Fool..." Maduin groaned under his breath, and with that, took off running again just as the tempest gained a new level of power, lifting Maduin from his feet and sucking him into the cave effortlessly. There at the end of the drawbridge was Madonna, Terra, the bearded man, and a few Imperial Soldiers gathered around her. Madonna wasn't moving, and Terra was remaining silent.

"Look what popped out!" One of the soldiers cried, and pointed to Madonna as she groaned and struggled to sit up. But before anyone could lay a finger on her, another gust of wind ripped through, pulling the bearded man and his two soldiers through the last gate that acted as the barrier between the humans and the Espers.

"NOOOO!" The bearded man screamed, his voice fading with the winds. "Just as we were in reach of a veritable bonanza....!"

"Madonna!" Maduin cried, and ran over to her, taking her in his arms. "Madonna!"

"Maduin...I'm not their friend..." Madonna moaned, and Maduin nodded while putting a small naive smile on his face.

"I understand that!"

"Thank you..." Madonna sighed and cringed in pain, feeling as if every joint in her body had been crushed from the impact of the tempest wind.

"Can you make it back here?" Maduin asked soothingly, and Madonna nodded, standing up slowly with Terra still locked in her grip.

"Sure..." Madonna moaned, and with that, the two began to walk back slowly towards the drawbridge that would lead them home. Suddenly, there was a burst of sparkling light as the tempest reached it's full force, and a roaring wind began to rip and tear at Maduin and Madonna as they struggled to go against it to reach the Esper gate. However, Madonna's strength had been

dangerously drained, and in the blink of an eye, she let her grip loosen, causing little Terra to go flying out of her arms and back through the same gate the Imperials had been sucked through.

"TERRA!" Madonna shrieked, and jerking away from Maduin's grip, let herself be blown away with her daughter through the gate as well, disappearing in seconds from Maduin's sight.

"MADONNA!" Maduin cried, and with that, let himself be sucked through the gate as well to go after them. The force was so great that Maduin blacked out immediately as he was thrown from the gate and into a small forest that rested outside of it in the human world. Madonna was there also, still barely awake, as well as the bearded man, who was gathering his wits. He shook his head and slowly stood up, brushing off his robes as he looked about and spotted Madonna and Maduin, his eyes lighting up in delight. He approached her slowly and kneeled down to her side, trying to determine whether she was alive or not.

"A...human girl!?" The man gasped, and blinked in surprise. "Wh...Who is she?" Madonna groaned and slowly opened her eyes, only to realize that she could see nearly nothing. Her world had turned into a faded gray-ish black. She had become blind. Slowly reaching out, Madonna could feel the foot and the leg of someone, and by the silkiness of the clothes and scent, she could tell they were human. Madonna grunted and felt around with her other hand, revealing Terra who had been caught in the winds and tucked away safely by her chest.

"Please...take care of my baby..." Madonna moaned, and the man's smile suddenly lit up as if it were a Christmas tree. It all came to him immediately, making him practically shake with excitement as he reached down and grabbed hold of Terra, gazing upon her admiringly.

"YOUR girl!?" He squealed, and laughed softly. "Hmm...so she's half human and half...OH! How absolutely fascinating! Mwa ha ha ha ha...she will help us realize our dream faster than we ever imagined!" At the sound of his voice, Madonna suddenly realized who was beside her, and let out a gasp as she reached out and clawed at Emperor Gestahl's robes.

"NO!" Madonna cried, and blindly tried to strike Gestahl so that he would drop Terra. However, Gestahl only began to laugh louder, and he bent down, picking up a sword that had probably belonged to one of his soldiers that had been blown out with him. He smiled sweetly at Madonna's useless struggle, and raised the sword over his head.

"Quiet, my dear!" He cackled, and with that, brought the hilt of the sword upon the back of Madonna's head, a sickening crack ringing out in the forest that was only beaten by Madonna's scream of pain as she was struck. However, it was short-lived, and a moment later, Madonna's head hit the ground, her eyes sliding shut forever as a trickle of blood trailed out of the corner of her mouth. Gestahl began to laugh manically as he tossed the sword aside and clutched onto Terra, who had begun to cry again. One of his Imperial Soldiers emerged from where they had been tossed, and immediately ran over to Maduin's still body, preparing to shackle him up for Emperor Gestahl.

"WE WILL OWN THIS WORLD!" Gestahl exclaimed proudly, breaking out into even more laughter. It echoed on and on as the scenery began to fade again for the final time. A few moments later, the Returners were back in the Zozo apartment, a crash of lightning outside making them all jump as they realized they were back in reality. Terra was still sitting up in bed, only now, she was back to her old green-haired human self, and instead of the Magicite, she was clutching to the ruby pendant around her neck. Her eyes were wide and there were little beads of sweat that had gathered at her temples and forehead.

"That was my father...?" She whispered. "I am...the product of an Esper and a human..." She shook her head and looked up at the others, who remained absolutely silent. "That's how I got my powers... And now I understand. I finally feel as if I can control this power of mine... For it is MINE, and not stolen from the blood of an Esper. Maduin's power courses through my veins, as well as my mother's...my poor, poor mother..." Edgar stepped up to Terra's side and gently pushed her bangs out of her eyes as she looked down to her lap sadly.

"So Gestahl must of known the secret of the Esper's power way back then." Edgar said. "It was nearly 18 years ago when Madonna found Maduin and had Terra. A couple of years after that, Gestahl attacked. I have no doubt in my mind he had already begun testing the infusion process as soon as he got a hold of Terra."

"He had to of known about the infusion process." Locke said dully. "Celes told me that she had had her powers since she was a little girl. If she and Terra are both 18, then that means that Celes was one of the first to get infused. Her power came at the expense of an Esper..." At that, Terra looked up from the bed, and looked about, confused that Celes had not spoken up for herself. When Terra noticed Celes wasn't there, she was about to open her mouth and question it when Sabin slammed his fist against his hand and growled.

"They can't get away with this!" He cried. "We have to strike back!" Terra blinked and looked to him worriedly.

"What is happening in Narshe?!" She asked, and Locke rested his hands on his hips.

"Hmm...maybe we should head back that way now..."

"The airship is ready!" Setzer announced, and Terra smiled a little, yanking the sheets off her legs and jumping out of bed.

"Come on!" She exclaimed happily. She couldn't wait to catch up with the others about what had happened. As they walked down the hallway of the apartment to go outside, Terra felt as if her heart were about to soar right out of her chest.

My friends...my wonderful friends came for me...were worried for me... What is this I am feeling right now? It's so warm and comforting... To know that they care...

Is it...love...?

**********

Back on the Blackjack, more introductions were made as well as tearful reunions as all the Returners fawned over Terra, asking her twenty times over if she was ok, if she felt hurt, if she was hungry, thirsty, so on and so on. Gau climbed on Terra's back and happily tugged on her hair as she tried to listen to the stories the others had to tell her, her heart and mind overwhelmed by everything happening around her. She found Setzer charming and polite as he introduced himself and kissed her hand like a true gentleman, making Edgar turn red in fury.

"I thought I was the ladies man here!" He whispered to Sabin, and Sabin tried not to laugh in his face.

" I don't know what to tell you, brother." He smiled some, and Edgar crossed his arms over his chest like a jealous little boy.

"Don't forget who saved you, Terra!" He cried, and Terra turned to him, smiling wider than he had ever seen her.

"I am grateful to everyone!" She exclaimed, and Edgar nearly fell over. Sabin laughed more and looked away from his brother for a moment, only to see Locke silently retreating down the stairs that led to the lower deck of the Blackjack. Not having seen his friend in quite a while, Sabin decided to follow him, asking Terra if he could excuse himself for a second. Terra nodded and was practically dragged away by Setzer a moment later, who was dying to show his airship's controls off to someone new.

Below the deck, Locke sighed and shoved his hands further down in his pockets as he collapsed in a soft red chair and leaned back, closing his eyes. There were so many thoughts running though his head at that moment, he could barely pick them apart to make them make sense for him. He was overwhelmed with happiness that Terra was safe... At least he hadn't of failed in his mission to bring her back to the real world with everyone else. However...now there were more serious things to think about. This Emperor Gestahl seemed to be another dangerous character that the Returners would surely end up facing soon, and while they had Terra back on their side as well as Setzer, he had the sinking feeling that their luck would not improve much. What if the Empire was still going to try to steal Terra back? Locke was sure that the news of Terra becoming a flying white creature in the sky had been brought to their attention by now. And how long would it take for the Empire to make a counter-attack against the Returners for raiding and destroying the Magitek Research Facility?

And then there was Celes... There would be no time to even search for her...

"Locke Cole!" A bright voice exclaimed, and Locke whirled around his chair, only to see Sabin's smiling face.

"Hey Sabin." Locke smiled back a little, and patted the chair next to him. Sabin took a seat and let out a loud yawn, slumping back in his chair.

"How are you feeling?" Sabin asked as he turned to Locke. "You look tired."

"I am tired." Locke admitted. "I haven't gotten more than an hour of sleep these past couple of days, it seems. I keep hoping we will have some sort of a break so that we can relax, but... It doesn't seem likely anymore."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Sabin sighed and rested his hands behind his head. "Keeping guard at Narshe wasn't exactly easy either. Everyone there was so paranoid...Gau and I were running around checking stuff out all day and night. Hopefully things will calm down again when Terra returns. I really think the town is beginning to look up to her as their savior."

"We can't let anymore burdens fall on her shoulders." Locke suddenly said, and Sabin blinked.

"Well of course not Locke, we'll all do our best to protect her..."

"...I hope so." Locke murmured, and Sabin narrowed his eyes in concern. It was not like Locke Cole to get so distraught especially after just the joyful event of rescuing Terra. There was more on his mind than just the Empire.

"...So..." Sabin stuttered awkwardly, but was interrupted by someone else.

"Locke, where is Celes?" Terra asked softly from the foot of the stairs. "I really want to thank her. I noticed she was not with us in Zozo, so I figured she was sleeping on the ship..." Locke widened his eyes and Sabin looked over to Terra worriedly. She was no longer smiling as brightly as before, but she still did look a little happy. Terra's gaze flickered from Sabin's to the back of Locke's head. She walked over slowly and stood behind Locke, resting her small hands on his shoulders from behind and gasping a little at how tight and clenched his muscles felt.

"Locke..." Terra trailed off. "...Will you please answer me?"

".....I don't know." Locke moaned. "I guess you two still don't know...but while we were at the Magitek Research Facility, there was an accident and Kefka revealed to us that Celes was still with the Empire." Terra blinked, feeling her breath get caught in her throat, and Sabin nearly choked on his own spit.

"What?!" Sabin cried, and Locke continued staring down at the floor.

"But we don't know if it was a lie or not... Things get blurry after that...there was a battle...I thought I heard Celes saying something to me, but I can't really remember what it was she said. A few moments later, she had disappeared in a spell that she had cast with Kefka, and we haven't seen her

or Kefka since." Terra sighed a little and Sabin bit his lower lip, trying to put together the broken story in his mind.

"So Celes is gone..." Terra trailed off and squeezed Locke's shoulders a little. "Gone...and may or may not have been a traitor..." Locke moaned, and Terra put on a small smile.

"But don't worry...if Kefka really was lying, then I am sure that Celes will make her way back to us!" Terra smiled even more at her solution, and nodded to herself. "Why, I know that she would not want to stay away from you very long, Locke Cole! You must have faith!"

"That's right Locke, faith is what has carried us so far." Sabin smiled, and Locke closed his eyes.

"That would be true Terra...if I had only had faith in her first..." With that, Locke stood up and walked away, leaving Terra and Sabin behind. Sabin seemed mildly confused, but Terra could immediately sense at what Locke was trying to get at, and pressed a hand to her mouth in surprise.

"...Oh dear...what is going to happen to us...?" Terra closed her eyes and clenched at the back of the chair Locke had been sitting in, trying to fight the stinging tears that were forming behind her eyelids.

Please Gods...please let the Returners stick together through the trials we are to face in the future... Everyone...is here for a reason...and to win, we will need to fight together...

Please make our hearts strong and true. Please protect us from the Empire's traps and snares, both physically and soulfully. If we were to fall apart... Disaster stand in our places. Please let our hearts all heal from the past few days events, especially my friend Locke's. Fill us with courage and peace, and the wisdom we need to fight.

....And please, most of all, let us be together again. But, let Celes be safe, if nothing else...

Chapter Twenty-Three - King of the Moogles and Master of Dance, Mog

"Miss Terra!"

"Huh?" Terra blinked and narrowed her eyes, trying to see who was calling her name. The snow and wind in Narshe's mountains was particularly bad that evening, and the Returners could barely see a foot in front of them as they approached the gates of the town. Terra ran ahead of the others, her red boots crunching in the snow. How wonderful it was to be somewhere familiar again! Terra smiled to herself as she ran closer to the voice. She felt as if she had been reborn ever since she got her memory back, as if every sense had been heightened and sharpened. While she was not completely carefree, as there was still the Empire to worry about, Terra still felt happier than she could ever truly remember.

"Oh, hello!" Terra exclaimed when she saw who had been calling to her. It was one of Narshe's soldiers at the gate, waving frantically to her and the other Returners.

"We've been waiting for you!" The soldier exclaimed. "Please, this way!"

"Coming!" Terra said, and looked back, waving for the others to follow her. Locke gave her a nod and a wave back through the snow, and Terra felt her heart drop at his melancholy face.

Locke has done so much for me... I'll think of something I can do to make him feel better later... It's my obligation...

The soldier led the Returners to the Elder's house, where Banon, Arvis, and Narshe's Elder were waiting in the parlor. At the sight of Terra, Banon jumped up immediately and ran to the doorway, giving her a big a hug. Terra laughed a little and hugged back as much as she could, pulling back some so that she could look Banon over.

"Banon, you're safe!" Terra exclaimed, and Banon tried not to laugh.

"I should be saying the same for you!" He smiled, and the other Returners filed inside. "It's good that you are all here though... There are many critical things that we need to discuss now. Terra's smile faded a little, but Banon patted her shoulder in reassurance. "The people of Narshe have finally decided to battle the Empire. How did things go in Vector? Do we know any more about them that would be useful?" Cyan stepped up for this question, and began to explain to Banon about everything they had seen in the Magitek Research Facility, and how they now knew how the Empire got it's magic. He also explained that the Magitek Research Facility was now basically destroyed, although that would only slow the Empire down for a little while. He left out everything about Celes and Cid...it wasn't necessary to drag up the more painful part of the mission.

"We can take advantage of them by using Figaro's machinery." Edgar added. "Now that their own supply will be crippled for a while yet."

"Hmm, I see." Arvis nodded, finally speaking up. "Your plan would combine Narshe's money with Figaro's machinery to storm the Empire...not enough man power though..."

"We have to open the sealed gate." Banon suddenly interrupted, and Terra gasped as everyone turned to stare at him.

"To the Esper World...?" She trailed off.

"We'll never be able to beat the Empire without them." Arvis reasoned. "They've had the power of Espers on their side this whole time... How can we compare?"

"When the gate has been opened, we'll have the Espers attack from the east...and we can storm in from the north at the same time." Terra gulped and felt her knees sinking a little. The Espers...they wouldn't understand their need for help...after what had happened the last time humans traveled to their realm...

"There is no way around it." Locke suddenly said, and Terra looked up at him in surprise.

"We MUST get the Espers to understand." Banon began. "We have to establish a bond of trust between humans and Espers. Only one person can do this..." Banon looked to Terra, and she blinked. She felt ice line her stomach when she realized the true situation that they had fallen into... There was no way to attack the Empire without more power...and the Espers held that power... If they couldn't get the Espers to help, they would be doomed. All of their sacrifices, pains, and efforts would go down the drain. Now was not the time to be selfish with fear or doubt.

...Half human, half Esper... My existence is proof that such a bond CAN exist...

"I'll do it!" Terra suddenly cried. "I'm the only who can!" Everyone looked relieved at Terra's burst of confidence, and Locke smiled a little, giving her a playful punch on the arm. Terra turned her attention away from him to Banon, who looked excited and nervous at the same time now.

"Get the Espers to understand, and we can bring this war to a screeching halt. I know you can do this Terra..." Terra nodded, and Banon pressed his hands together. "Our battle lies before us. We must make ourselves ready. Tonight we will send a few of you into Narshe's shops to purchase any armor and weapons you might need for the trip."

"The sealed gate stands at the eastern edge of the Empire." Arvis explained. "There is a base there, but somehow you will have to slip through..."

**********

"Are you sure you want to come, Locke? You didn't look so well back at the house."

"Yeah, don't worry about it Edgar. I'm just really tired...tonight will be the first night in a long while that I'll actually get to go to bed at a normal hour in a normal bed. It's been a long week."

"Yeah..." Edgar sighed a little, and nearly jumped in the snow when someone squeezed his shoulder from behind. Edgar blinked and turned around, only to see Terra, smiling some, and bundled up in a rich, crimson- colored cape with soft white fur lining the collar and the hood pulled over her head.

"I'm coming too!" Terra announced, and Locke laughed a little.

"Alright, but you're doing all the shopping. You are the girl and all."

"Fine by me." Terra said, and managed to get in between the two men as they started walking towards Narshe's shopping square. The snow crunched underneath their feet, although their footsteps were quickly replaced by the snow that was beginning to flurry down from the dark, moonless sky. The streets were lit up by the soft yellow light of lanterns hanging from every house and shop, and large, copper belly-like tanks were resting outside on some street corners, bursting with warm steam as they worked to warm the buildings they were attached to. A few men accompanied the tanks, shoveling in coal every once in a while to help keep them fueled. This was the extent of Narshe's technology.

"This kind of feels like old times." Locke remarked. "Just the three of us." Terra nodded, and Edgar smiled a little.

"Yeah...can't believe we met so many people willing to become Returners since we left Figaro together. I didn't think anyone cared."

"People can be surprising, I suppose." Terra added. "Do you think there will be anyone else...?"

"Oh, I don't know." Locke replied. "Although we may not need anyone else... If we manage to convince the Espers to help us, then the Empire will surely be decimated... And then this war will be over..."

"Ahhh...Peace, it's so close and yet so far away..." Edgar sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "....I hope Sabin will stay with me in Figaro when it's all over..." Terra and Locke both turned to him, surprised.

"Of course he will, he's your brother!" Terra exclaimed.

"Yeah...we may be twins, but Sabin and I are like two totally different spirits...While I worry over the state of the kingdom, he worries over the state of his soul... I think of the present, and he thinks of the future... I want women, he wants total Nirvana..." They all chuckled a little at Edgar's last remark, but turned serious as Edgar opened his eyes again and looked to Locke and Terra. "I think Sabin assumes that I don't need him...but that's not very true at all."

"You had better tell him how you feel." Locke said. "Before the war does end and he decides what to do with himself."

"You're right." Edgar nodded. "Maybe I'll do that sometime soon."

"HELP!! THIEF!!!"

"What?!" Locke suddenly cried, turning red. "Who said that??? It's TREASURE HUNTER!"

"I don't think they were talking to us!" Terra cried, and looked around to see where the voice had come from. There was a small commotion coming from the rather large treasure storage shed just a few yards away, and the shattering of a window as a tall, cloaked figure flew through it and tumbled into the snow. Before anyone could approach it though, the figure jumped up and started running, manically laughing as he shoved something shiny in his pocket.

"G'whoa! I've been made! I am Lone Wolf, the pickpocket!!!" With that, he disappeared around the corner, and the Returners looked at each other.

"We should stop him!" Terra cried, and Locke and Edgar nodded in agreement. With that, they took off running also, plowing through snow and people to catch up with Lone Wolf. The snow began to come down harder, making it difficult to see for the Returners as they struggled to spot the thief. Realizing someone was following him, Lone Wolf turned around for a moment and saw the Returners, and tried to stifle a laugh as he continued running north.

"G'heh!" He coughed, and Terra felt her heartbeat skyrocket as she pumped her legs harder to go faster. She, Locke, and Edgar practically ran in a straight line through the center of town until Lone Wolf took a quick turn left and leapt off a small ridge, disappearing amongst the caves and mines of western Narshe. Terra started gasping for breath as she, Edgar, and Locke came to a screeching halt at the edge of the ridge, not wanting to take the chance to jump, as it was fairly dangerous.

"Where....do...those...mines...lead to?" Terra gasped, and Locke jerked his thumb backwards.

"To the Northern Snow Fields! Where we battled Kefka! There's a shorter way, so lets cut him off!"

"Right!" Edgar exclaimed. "Lead the way Locke!"

So this time, it was Locke who took point and lead the team back a few roads from which they had already came until they reached Arvis' empty house. Locke threw open the door and let Terra close it behind them since she was the last in line, and the team tore through the house to Arvis' backdoor, which Locke threw open also and ran through onto the small catwalk Arvis had that led to another part of the mines.

"I remember this now..." Terra trailed off as they ran into a new mine shaft. Their footsteps echoed loudly off of the cave walls, only to be outdone by the large puddles they stepped in every few feet.

A few moments later, they had emerged into the cold Narshe air once more, at the southern point of Narshe's snow fields. However, when Locke, Edgar, and Terra separated in the fields to find Lone Wolf, there was no trace of him anywhere to be found.

"What the hell?!" Locke demanded.

"He could not of beaten us here!" Edgar tried to reason, although he was doing it quite loudly and angrily.

"Oh my, you're rather persistent!" A snarling voice suddenly exclaimed, and Terra screamed as a shadow leapt out from her side and gave her a hard shove into the snow before running further up north, disappearing in a gust of snow-filled wind. Terra groaned and stood up, brushing the snow off her cape as she tried to recover from the surprise of being attacked by Lone Wolf.

"Are you ok?" Locke asked worriedly, and Terra nodded, the snow that had gotten on her face stinging her terribly as she wiped it off.

"I'm going after him!" Edgar called, and disappeared in seconds. Locke walked over to Terra and helped her get cleaned up, trying to get chunks of snow out from her hood.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yes, lets hurry!" Terra said, and grabbed Locke's arm to lead him away. "Lone Wolf...he was running towards the Esper!"

**********

"Geeze, what's taking them so long?" Setzer asked boredly as he dealt another hand of cards to Cyan, Sabin, and Gau.

"Well, this is Locke we are talking about..." Sabin trailed off as he looked over his hand, trying not to look too thrilled at having a full house. "He gets excited about anything involving money and shiny things...so he's probably having way too much fun shopping."

"Shiny shiny shiny!" Gau declared as he stuck his cards in his mouth.

"Gau!!!" Setzer shrieked, yanking the now chewed and half-moist cards from Gau's mouth. "I told you to stop doing that!! I've got teeth marks all over my precious Ladies of Figaro deck! I will NEVER forgive you!" Cyan grunted in embarrassment as he tried to use his fingers to cover the revealing pictures on the front of his cards, and Sabin laughed, knowing it was probably Edgar who helped authorize the trashy cards.

"Ok, Gau stop playing with ladies." Gau said sincerely, making everyone chuckle a little at his expense. "Gau hope Locke, Edgar, and Terra come home soon, so they can play too!"

**********

"I've got you cornered Lone Wolf, so don't even think about escaping!" Edgar growled, as he slowly drew his sword. Lone Wolf, who had stopped at the edge of the very same cliff the Esper was on, was busy with something else though, and didn't pay much mind to Edgar.

"Give back what you stole right now!" Edgar demanded, at which this point Lone Wolf turned around, and in his arms was a squirming white ball of fluff with a little pink ball dangling from the thin antenna on it's head. It's little eyes were squinted shut as it cried out and waved it's ridiculously short arms and legs helplessly. It was a Moogle, a rare creature that lived in the depths of Narshe's mines, and were not known to be found anywhere else in the world. Lone Wolf cackled evilly and suddenly thrust out his arms, letting the little creature dangle over the edge of the cliff by it's delicate wings.

"G'heh, this here's a wild one!" Lone Wolf laughed, and Edgar turned pale. "Don't move, or this one's dust!" At that moment, Locke and Terra burst in on the scene, gasping at what they saw was happening.

"A Moogle!" Terra exclaimed brightly. She remembered that those were the types of creatures who had helped save her back when she was out cold in the mines. Locke remembered also, and narrowed his eyes a bit. Yes, it was true that all Moogles looked nearly the same...but this one, for some reason, was very familiar to him. Of course, now was not the time to ask questions. He drew his knife and glared at Lone Wolf.

"Let it go, now!" Locke growled, and Lone Wolf shook his head as he shook the poor creature back and forth tauntingly over the cliff.

"KUUUUUUUUUPO!" It cried, and at that moment, there came a low rumbling, which appeared to be coming from the Esper! The cliff began to shake violently, and Terra gasped as Lone Wolf stumbled and fell over the side of the cliff, releasing the little Moogle so that he could grab onto the edge and try to save his own life. The Moogle squeaked and rolled violently from Lone Wolf's rough toss, tumbling over the opposite edge of the cliff itself! It cried out louder as it clung to the edge, beating it's legs and wings frantically to try to give itself the power to climb back up. Terra looked between the Moogle and Lone Wolf, who glared at her hatefully.

"GRRRR, you'll never get this Gold Hairpin!" Lone Wolf snickered, and Terra narrowed her eyes at him.

"Forget you!" She snapped, and ran over to grab the Moogle, easily making her decision on whom to save. As soon as Terra had scooped the Moogle into her arms, the cliff began to rumble again, and Lone Wolf lost his grip, screaming wildly as he tumbled over the side of the cliff and disappeared down, down, down into the darkness. The rumbling stopped, and Terra gently set the Moogle down, kneeling to it's level so that she could admire how adorable it was. Locke and Edgar

both let out shaky sighs of relief and walked over to the Moogle as well, Locke patting it's head playfully.

"Thankupo!" The Moogle suddenly burst out, and Terra nearly fell over in shock. Locke and Edgar both looked as if they had seen a ghost.

"You can talk!?" Locke stuttered, and the Moogle turned towards him, chuckling a little.

"Well, of course I can, I'm Mog, King of the Moogles!" He declared. "And you're Locke, and you're Terra! I saved you guys, remember?" Edgar looked a little left out as Terra nodded seriously.

"I do remember, thank you very much!" She smiled, and Locke nodded.

"So you were one of the Moogles that saved us. I knew I had seen you somewhere before." Locke smiled as well, and Mog suddenly took a leap into Locke's arms, cuddling against him and making Locke turn bright red.

"That old psycho, Ramuh, came to me in a dream and told me to be expectin' you!" Mog declared, and Locke raised his eyebrows. "And now I'm gonna.....join your party!!!"

"You're kidding me!" Edgar stuttered. "A Moogle in the Returners?! Listen buddy, I don't think you quite cut it..." Mog blinked and glared at Edgar, hopping down from Locke's arms and poking Edgar in the chest.

"You don't think I cut it, KUPO?!" Mog screeched, and Edgar gulped, crawling back a bit.

"Er...umm...I mean..."

"Come on, Mog!" Terra exclaimed happily, and Mog turned away from Edgar to leap into Terra's arms, using them as a ladder to climb to her shoulder. "We can always use more help!" With that, Terra began to walk away back towards Narshe, and Edgar looked up at Locke with a look of disbelief on his face.

"I wouldn't piss him off too badly." Locke said half-jokingly as he helped Edgar to his feet. "I've seen that guy fight, and it's not pretty."

"......Well I'll be a Moogle's uncle." Edgar shook his head and put his hands on his hips. "I hope Terra doesn't think that that little ball of laundry lint is cuter than me!!!"

"OH! So THAT'S what this is about..." Locke began to laugh as he led Edgar away from the cliff, their voices fading. "Well, maybe Mog isn't even a boy..."

"Of course he's a boy, you can't be a King of the Moogles unless you are a boy!"

"Well maybe things work different in the Moogle world..."

"...Don't give me that, thief!"

"WHAT?!!!!!!!?!"

**********

That evening, was the first in a long time that the Returners actually got to sleep for a full night without any threats of attacks or missions to accomplish late in the night. The different team members were all sprawled about on the floor of Arvis' parlor, with the exception of Terra, who had been given the privilege of using the bed since she was the only lady among them. Mog slept comfortably at the foot of Terra's bed, worn out from his adventures for the day and from being fussed over when brought back to the others to be introduced. Edgar and Sabin slept side by side on the floor under the same wool blanket, both with identical grins on their faces as they had sweet dreams about women and meditating, respectively. Cyan snored lightly in his own little corner of the room, wincing every once in a while from a bittersweet memory of Owain or Elayne. Gau was curled up in a ball, drooling happily in his sleep at the thought of a big breakfast in the morning, and Setzer was nearly swallowed up in all the blankets he had requested, mumbling lines from Maria's different operas in his sleep. Locke himself was in a deep sleep, still as a statue in his sleeping bag as his aching heart and body absorbed the peace around him, racing to make him well again. Just this one night, there were no dreams of Rachel or Celes, or of any future missions.Perhaps the Gods up there had a little mercy for him after all.

Chapter Twenty-Four- The Espers of the Sealed Gate

"So who's going to come with Terra?"

It was the next morning, which was a little gray and dull. (Which was not surprising weather for Narshe.) Banon and Arvis had joined the Returners for a large breakfast in the Elder's home, and were trying to help them determine what to do next. Terra was pushing around her chocobo eggs with her fork while the others talked around her and discussed who was going to join her and who was going to stay behind. She felt a little guilty, for she harbored the secret thought that maybe no one wanted to go with her at all to the dangerous Esper World.

If I could go alone, I would... Terra thought to herself. If only I weren't so weak from my transformation...

"Gau want to go with Terra!" Gau exclaimed, and Terra suddenly looked up from her food into the child's eyes that were peering right at her.

"Gau!" Terra exclaimed in honest surprise. "Are you sure??"

"Yeah, Gau ready to go and fight!" Gau exclaimed. "Gau go and protect Terra!"

"That's so sweet!" Terra smiled. "Thank you, Gau." Gau grinned and suddenly grabbed hold of Mog, who was sitting next to him, and squeezed him to his chest.

"Gau bring Mog too! Mog want to go, right?!" Mog sputtered and choked on his eggs, kicking his limbs frantically to get Gau to loosen his grip a little. Gau finally complied, and let Mog go, who with a series of coughs fluttered onto the tabletop in front of Terra, who was trying not to laugh.

"I would love to go, if Miss Terra wants my company." Mog said politely, making Edgar glare daggers at the back of his furry form.

"Those are all MY lines!" Edgar steamed, and Sabin blinked.

"YOUR lines, big brother?"

"Oh Mog, I would be happy for you to come as well, as long as you are properly recovered from last night." Terra smiled.

"I feel much better, thankupo!" Mog exclaimed. "And I will gladly accompany you!"

"Thank you too, Mog!" Terra smiled more and clapped her hands together. "I think that we have enough...we'll be able to move around easier like this." Locke was about to raise his hand to volunteer to go anyway, but Terra quickly shook her head at him from across the table.

"Terra?" Locke asked, and she rested her hands on the table, leaning in.

"Locke, you've done more than enough for me as it is." Terra said concernedly. "It would make me feel better if you just stayed behind and rested for a few more days..." She could see that the fatigue in Locke's eyes was still heavy, as well as the turmoil in his heart. She couldn't bear to bring him along for this. It might prove to be too much for him. He may not have known his limits, but Terra could easily tell that he had had enough for a while.

"....Alright Terra, whatever you want." Locke replied tiredly. "I'll be praying for you."

"You stay with him too, Edgar." Terra suggested firmly, and Edgar blinked. "You're his best friend...You can help him out with whatever he needs."

"Of course, Terra." Edgar did a little bow of his head, and Setzer suddenly stood up at the table, banging his fist down.

"Two children going alone? With a Moogle? Ridiculous!" He suddenly exclaimed, and the others stared up at him.

"Sir Setzer!" Cyan exclaimed.

"I shall join you as well, Miss Terra." Setzer smirked some, and swept his shining hair back over his shoulder. "It would be truly a delight on my part to be able to escort a lovely woman such as yourself to the Esper World. Besides that, the Espers might have a few card games I should like to learn...heh heh heh!"

"You just called me a child, not merely a second ago." Terra pointed out tactfully, and Setzer laughed a little.

"Only a child in comparison to my ancient self." Setzer covered himself up somewhat gracefully, and Terra couldn't help but laugh lightly.

"Alright, so it will be myself, Setzer, Mog, and Gau..." She brought a finger to her chin in thought and then looked up at Arvis and Banon. "Now...if I remember correctly, you said that the Sealed Gate was at the eastern edge of the Empire? Does that mean it is on the same continent as Vector?"

"Correct." Banon said. "But as I also said before, there is an Imperial Base right at the entrance, and I am most positive you will have a difficult time getting through."

"Well, Shadow and I didn't have TOO much of a difficult time." Sabin noted.

"Yes, but you must also realize that we are much more known to the Empire now than ever before." Cyan pointed out. "And since Terra is going...well, no offense Miss Terra, but you will stick out like a sore thumb...just because mostly anyone in the Empire can recognize you. I mean, you used to work there and all..."

"I understand what you are saying, Cyan." Terra nodded. "But I have to go. And even if there was a way around it, I would still go to the Esper World. In a way, the Espers are like my family now, and I cannot forgive the Empire for both what they did to me and have been doing to the Espers since before I was even born. I've decided that if the Empire tries to attack us, I will fight back, with all my might!" Locke looked up from the table and blinked. He had never heard Terra sound so strong and determined before. It was suddenly very relieving to him, for he did not entirely trust Mog, Gau, and Setzer to take the best care of her they could. He had nothing against them, they were just...not him. There was just no way he could stand losing another friend right now, but he was confident that Terra just might be ok on her own. There was a strong soul hidden behind her frail exterior.

"That is very extraordinary of you, Terra." Edgar smiled and bowed his head slightly. "You are a woman unlike any other I have ever met..."

"Quit flirting Edgar." Sabin moaned. "This is serious!"

"It's alright, really!" Terra smiled a little. She had gotten used to Edgar's ridiculous comments by now. "Lets just finish eating and get this over with. I want to come back to Narshe as soon as possible..."

"Of course." Setzer said, and stood up from his place at the table. "Let me go tell the men on the Blackjack to start 'er up. You three can just meet me out there." Setzer gave a wave and winked. "See you all in a bit! Wish us damn good luck!"

"Good luck Setzer!" Everyone chorused, and with that, Setzer took a bow and exited the house. Locke turned to Terra again and furrowed his eyebrows in concern.

"Please, please, be careful." He said, and Terra nodded seriously.

"Do not worry...I have my magic if things get too out of hand!" She smiled, and stood up. "Come on Gau, come on Mog!"

"Kupo!" Mog exclaimed, and hopped out of his little chair. Gau finished shoveling the last of his chocobo eggs in his mouth, and jumped out of his chair as well. Terra gave him a little pat on the head, and proceeded to follow them out of the dining room.

"Take care, and hurry back!" Edgar exclaimed. Terra gave everyone in the room a small wave, and with that, turned away and left. As soon as her skin hit the cold air outside of the home, her smile fell and her gaze was cast down to the ground, where she followed the snowy footsteps of Gau and Mog, who had already scampered way ahead of her.

"Most normal people would be anxious to go back to their hometown..." Terra trailed off, and bit her lower lip. "But I'm so afraid of what we may see...We are crossing a threshold that no human or Esper has set foot upon for nearly two decades..." She shook her head a little. "Yes...I suppose I have yet to be considered a 'normal' girl..."

**********

"It's pretty overcast today." Setzer commented, more to himself than anyone else. Gau and Mog were comparing monster stories on one end of the deck, and Terra was just standing there, gazing out at the world which was so quickly passing below her. However, Terra raised her head and stared at Setzer, nodding to acknowledge his comment, much to his surprise. Terra had been quiet the whole way down to Vector thus far.

"I wonder if the weather is an ill omen?" Terra questioned, and Setzer blinked, turning back to the wheel of the Blackjack.

"You believe in that kind of stuff? Bad luck and everything?"

"I don't really know what I believe in, at this moment." Terra frowned a little, and Setzer sighed.

"Darn...I was hoping we would have something in common, heh heh..." He smiled and turned back to look at Terra, but she was not smiling with him at the joke. As much as Setzer tried, he realized it was very hard for him to imagine Terra as she was only a little while before, smiling and laughing like the others.

"So, if you were upset about this mission, why didja put on the fake smile before?" Setzer suddenly asked, and Terra blinked, raising a hand to her ruby pendant as if on instinct.

"How did you know?" Terra questioned, and Setzer shrugged a little.

"I know women. You guys can get moody, but not like this. I figured something was up when you stopped talking on the ship and put on that gloomy face. Are all you Imperial beauties the same? Can you guys predict doom?"

"What?" Terra blinked again and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"You're acting just like Celes did when I took her to Vector. She was upset about going there too...and with good reason, I guess, since she was found out."

"I don't think Celes was a spy!" Terra suddenly cried. "Please don't say things like that...you didn't know her, and she isn't here to defend herself."

"And I can tell by your tone that you didn't either." Setzer replied curtly, and Terra took in a sharp breath.

"....Well...she wasn't my best friend...but I could tell by the look in her eyes when we met that she was on our side..." Terra bit her lip. "Besides that...I'm just hoping for Locke's sake that she really wasn't a spy. He was the only person she let get close to her...it would break his heart."

"Why do you think so?" Setzer asked, and Terra blinked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Never mind why I think that. And for your information, the reason why I acted happy about going here is because I thought no one else would want to, and I wanted to make everyone feel better about me going. I mean...I don't want anyone worrying for me...anymore...I've caused enough trouble as it is...You really have no idea."

"I'm sure you've gone through a lot, considering the first time I met you I thought you were on your deathbed." Setzer said in a less harsh tone, and smiled a little. "Please don't take offense in my words Miss Terra, I do not mean to upset you. I have a lot of respect for you and the Returners..."

"You speak as if you are not one of us..." Terra trailed off.

"Sorry." Setzer chuckled a little and flipped his hair over his shoulder. "It's hard of me to think of myself as apart of some 'unit'. I've always just been one, Setzer Gabbiani!"

"Always just one?" Terra questioned curiously, and Setzer nodded, turning his back to her.

"Always one..."

"And so, with one whack of my spear, BOOM! Keeled over dead at my feet, kupo!"

"Leafers not hard to defeat, silly Mog!" Gau exclaimed. "One time, Gau take on 10 Brawlers!!!!!!!"

"You lie, kupo!!!" Mog laughed a little. "No kid can take on 10 of those suckers!"

"Gau can! Gau use special power Rage!"

"Sure kid, whatever you say!" Mog laughed a little and jumped up, scuttling over to Terra and tugging on the top of her boot. Terra looked down and smiled, kneeling to Mog's level.

"What is it?" She asked sweetly, and Mog hopped in her arms.

"When do we get there, kupo?" Mog asked impatiently. "We've been flying forever!!!"

"Don't worry, we'll be there any minute." Setzer answered for Terra. "We're over the southern continent...but I can't seem to find a safe place to land..."

"Take your time." Terra said worriedly, frowning a bit, and then turned back to Mog. "Don't worry--we'll be on the ground soon. Are you feeling sick?"

"Nooo, Moogles don't get airsick!" Mog laughed a little. "Don't worry so much Miss Terra, and put a smile on that pretty face! It suits you much better, kupo."

"Thank you." Terra did smile, just a little, and gently patted Mog's head. "But I cannot help but worry just a bit Mog...I really don't know what to expect..."

"I will protect you!" Mog exclaimed. "Ramuh called me to you, and I will do as he bids!" Terra smiled more and stood back up, clutching her hands into two fists.

"Thank you, and I will protect you too, Mog!" She exclaimed, however, the dramatic moment was ruined when there came a sudden loud sputter of the airship engine, and the deck began to shake violently. Terra cried out and fell to the floor as Setzer laughed happily and the shaking and noise came to cease. Terra groaned and looked up as Setzer waved to her and grinned.

"Rough landing!" He exclaimed, Terra suddenly felt an urge to slap him.

"That was FUN!" Gau exclaimed, and dived on top of Setzer from nowhere.

"Yeah, I know!" Setzer grinned and slapped Gau a high-five. "But I guess we should be going, huh Miss Terra?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Terra cringed as she pulled herself up, but gasped loudly when she saw what had been smooshed into a marshmallow with pink wings below her.

"Mog!!!" Terra cried, and peeled the poor Moogle off the deck. "Are you alright...!?"

"Kupo....!" Mog moaned, and fell faint in her arms.

"He'll snap out of it." Setzer laughed and gestured for Terra to follow him. "Let us go...The Empire must surely be expecting us."

"Oh dear..." Terra muttered, and pulled out a crimson bottle of Phoenix Down as they began to descend the ramp of the Blackjack and walk towards the tall, looming, metal Imperial Base just a few yards away from them. However, when the team reached the base, they were shocked to find it's doors wide open, and the inside of it completely abandoned. There was not a soul in sight. The path to the dark Sealed Gate could easily be seen just across the span of the empty base, as if waiting patiently for Terra and the others.

"That's odd...no Imperial Soldiers..." Setzer trailed off, and brought a hand to his chin in thought.

"Lets get this over with." Terra said sharply, feeling her determination begin to swell back within her heart.

They quickly cut across the empty, almost spooky base, and made it to the Sealed Gate, the name dubbed to the looming cave that supposedly led to the Esper World. The forest that Terra had seen in her memories of Madonna's murder had long since been destroyed by the Empire for it's own purposes, so now they were just in an empty field. Already, things were feeling cold and unfamiliar.

"C-come on..." Gau stuttered, and gently tugged on Setzer's trench coat. "We gotta go..."

"Right." Setzer nodded, and looked to Terra, who nodded back.

"I'll be on point." Terra volunteered, and with that, stepped into the cave, her hand steadied on the hilt of her sword, ready to strike at anything that was in her way.

"Oooh..." Mog groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly as they entered, still recovering from the Phoenix Down administered to him previously. "It's dark in here!"

"You're right about that..." Terra blinked and tried to get her eyes to adjust to the darkness quickly. The cave was cold and drippy, and what she could manage to see was all drenched in monochromes of blue and gray.

"Hey, I see light!" Setzer smiled happily, and pointed off not too far away from where they were standing. Sure enough, there was a small entryway erected in the cave wall, and a soft red light was emitting from it. It was sort of creepy, but at that point, Terra didn't care. She quickly began to advance towards the light, and as she did, her skin begin to feel warmer and warmer, and soon broke out into a sweat. All of a sudden, the environment had gone from freezing to boiling hot.

"What's going on...?" Gau questioned, but he was soon answered when the team stepped through the entryway and came across their first obstacle of the Sealed Gate.

"Lava...lava everywhere!" Terra cried, and wiped at her forehead furiously with her armguard. The entire room was filled with boiling lava, which was what was causing the red glow in the doorway. The only way to get across the lava that was feasible were the wooden planks built over the pool that led to the exit on the other side of the room. However...there was one little problem with that. The planks didn't seem to be staying put...meaning that they were erratically disappearing and reappearing in different sections of the pool, creating new paths across but also breaking others. If you were to be on a plank at the wrong time, and it disappeared...

"This...is a disaster." Mog sighed. "I can't even fly across this mess."

"Well never mind that, none of us can fly!" Setzer snapped.

"We'll have to move quickly...too quickly for a group of four." Terra sighed and brought a hand to her head to think. "The Espers...they did not want the humans to come back, and I suppose they made sure to keep us out for sure, this time around..."

"Heh, yeah, if only we weren't human." Mog snapped sarcastically. "Then I am sure we would be a helluva a lot more in their favor."

"Hmm..."

Suddenly, it came to her.

Terra snapped her fingers, and smiled happily.

"I've got it!" She exclaimed. "We're human, but we also have the power of the Espers with us! Remember?" Terra held up a Magicite shard, and Setzer took his out also, staring at it.

"I do remember Terra, but I'm afraid that even a Blizzara spell would not freeze over this lava..."

"Of course it wouldn't, but I know other spells to get around that!" Terra winked and raised her hands in the air, tilting her head up towards the ceiling and closing her eyes.

"FLOAT!"

A sparkling yellow light suddenly surrounded the party, spiraling about each of their bodies once before flying up to their backs, where it paused and created a small set of glowing, yellow wings. A moment later, the wings burst into glittering sparks that faded away in the air, and each of the Returner's feet began to slowly rise off the ground until there was a good 12 inches of distance between their feet and the floor, when which they began steadily levitating on their own.

"Terra, that's amazing!" Setzer exclaimed, and Terra blushed a little.

"Well, when I awoke in Zozo, my range of magic increased significantly." Terra explained. "I just knew this spell would come in handy for something...!"

"Maybe we should stop gawking and hurry across before it wears out, kupo!!" Mog cried a little nervously.

"Good idea!" Gau exclaimed, and with that, went off sprinting across the lava pool, in mid-air. Terra, Setzer, and Mog quickly followed, and before they knew it, they were safe over land and near the exit of the room. The lava seemed to boil even louder in rage as the Returners quickly slipped through the doorway, and into the next area.

The new area was like the previous, being that it was filled with bubbling pools of hot lava and many plank paths that led across it to bigger patches of burned, scarred land. However, these planks did not disappear and reappear, and seemed safe to cross.

"Lets follow the path and see where we end up." Terra instructed, and the still-floating team walked across (or rather over) each plank until they reached the first large chunk of land. Stairs were cut into the land's side, which led up to the land's most elevated point and another plank. However, when Terra tried climbing the stairs with the float spell still on her body, she found that she could not climb the stairs, but rather just bump into them over and over.

"I guess we can't elevate with this spell." Terra concluded, and closed her eyes as she pressed her hands together.

"Esuna!"

"ACK!" Mog cried as he flopped back to the hot ground. "A lil' warning next time, kupo?"

"Sorry." Terra smiled a little. "But lets continue on."

At the top of the stairs, Terra looked around and found a switch embedded in the wall. Setzer came up from behind her and pointed to it.

"Should we pull it?" He questioned, and Terra shook her head.

"It's probably a trap..."

"Ack, Gau, I can get up on my own!" A struggling Mog cried as he hoisted himself up the stairs as fast as possible. However, that was not fast enough for Gau, who happily picked up his new friend and decided to help him out.

"Oh, no, Gau!" Terra cried, but it was too late. Gau gave Mog a gentle toss with his 'brawler' strength up the rest of the stairs, causing Mog to go flying and screaming up and into the stretch of wall that contained the switch. With a loud crash, Mog smashed into the switch himself and with a weak whimper, slid down the wall and hit the ground.

"Oh, Mog!" Terra screeched, and kneeled down to his side.

"No, Terra, look out!" Setzer cried, and managed to push her and Mog away just in time as a new figure made the scene, flying down straight at them from above!

"YAAAH!" The figure roared, and immediately positioned itself into battle-stance, with shocks of dirty blonde hair falling in his face.

"It WAS a trap!" Terra cried, and Setzer stepped back, raising a playing card to launch at the attacker.

"Get back!!!" Setzer growled, and tossed the card, which sliced right through the man's form and down into the lava, bursting into a cloud of smoke at the fiery contact. The man choked and began to sputter as blood began to drip from his mouth, taking a few struggled steps back.

"N-n-nuts!! I thought I had the monopoly on the stuff buried in the plaza beneath the grand stairway...ugggh....." With that, the man dropped over the side of the ledge and fell to his doom, the team turning their backs to the messy scene as his body burned and boiled underneath the lava bath that had become his grave. Terra raised a hand to her chest and struggled to catch her breath as Mog also made his recovery. Gau looked on at the team worriedly as Setzer turned back to Terra and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"You ok?" He asked her, and she nodded.

"That was frightening...that man...who knows how long he's been trapped in here..."

"No kidding...Kupo...." Mog moaned and struggled to his feet. "At least you released him, Gau..."

"Gau do what now?" Gau blinked, and Mog just shook his head.

"I wonder what he was talking about though?" Setzer asked, and Terra shrugged.

"He was probably just hallucinating..."

"You're right." Setzer nodded, and put his hands on his hips. "Everyone ok? Ready to continue?"

"Yeah..." Terra trailed off, and looked away, turning to the bridge ahead of them that led to the next chunk of land. The ambush had given her a horrible scare, and now her pulse was racing so fast, she wondered if her blood was boiling like the lava below. She suddenly felt less confident about what was ahead, whatever it might be.

**********

After what seemed like hours of climbing rocky stairs and crossing narrow bridges, Terra and the others finally reached solid ground in a new part of the cavern that was similar to the entrance. It was chilly again, enough to make Terra shiver and rub her arms nervously. Ahead of the team was a large entryway, with no sign of life behind it. It was pure darkness, and it seemed as if the coldness of the room was emitting from within it. But behind the team was another doorway, smaller, but definitely more promising because of the sunlight that was pouring through it's entrance...

"Is this it?!" Terra asked slowly.

"There are two doors..." Mog trailed off, and looked to his rear, and ahead of him. "What if one of them is a final trap?"

"There's only one way to find out..." Setzer trailed off and looked to the sunshine-filled doorway. "I'll just take a quick peek...you two stay where you are."

"Be careful, Setzer." Terra warned, and Mog suddenly pulled out his contracting spear, it's sharpened tip gleaming from the sunlight as it extracted to it's full size.

"I've got yo' back!" Mog exclaimed, and Gau crawled about Terra and Mog in a crooked circle, sniffing at the ground and in the air. Setzer looked back at the others one last time and disappeared through the doorway.

"....Hey...I'm back at the airship?!" Setzer cried confusedly as he looked about his surroundings. Sure enough, the Blackjack was right in his sight from where he was standing, at the edge of the Imperial base. "What's going on?!" He looked back behind him and saw that the entrance to the Sealed Gate had...disappeared.

**********

"Setzer!!" Terra cried. "Oh my Gods, where did he go!? The doorway is gone too!"

"Stand back, kupo!" Mog exclaimed, and with that, took off running towards the wall where the doorway had just been, and took a hard stab at it with his spear. However, the tip of the spear merely smashed and dented against the hard rock, and Mog stepped back, a little stunned at what just happened.

"Door faded away..." Gau trailed off, and gulped.

"That must of been the trap..." Terra trailed off and bit her lower lip. "So I guess the right way is..." She turned and looked up at the bigger, darker entrance. "We have to go on..."

"But what about Setzer?" Mog asked, and Terra sighed.

"I just have to hope he is ok until we can take care of this." Terra replied flatly. "Maybe after the Espers listen to my plea, they will tell us where Setzer went..." Mog gulped and nodded, not wanting to mention to Terra that as she had spoken, her skin had suddenly taken on a pale, almost ghostly white glow, and her eyes had played between shades of emerald green and ruby red.

With those words, Terra gestured for Gau and Mog to follow her up to the gaping mouth that was before them. Mog kept his rather sad-looking spear out, and Gau seemed more alert and ready for anything as he stealthily crawled behind Mog, who was marching behind Terra. Terra widened her eyes as she passed through the doorway and felt her pulse speed up again. Everything in front of her was strangely familiar. There was a long, swinging rope-bridge that led up to what looked like another giant mouth of a cave, only this one was covered by two huge wooden doors that appeared to be locked tightly. There was a howling wind, although there was no possible source that it could of been coming from. Even the sounds of thunder echoed in the distance, as if they were in the middle of a colossal storm. Terra let out a soft breath and drank everything in slowly. The visions and sounds that surrounded her acted as if they were tiny fingers that played at her senses and skin, alerting all her nerves and heightening them by a hundred-fold. Her skin began to take on the pale glow again, and Mog and Gau stared at each other, both frightened and intrigued at the same time.

"...This is the true Sealed Gate..." Mog trailed off, and Terra nodded silently.

"Beyond is Esper World..." Gau added, and blinked as he looked around more.

"It's all up to you now, kupo!" Mog exclaimed gently. "You can do it Terra!"

Terra nodded again silently, and with that, began to climb up to the rope-bridge. Mog and Gau watched on anxiously as she got closer and closer to the gate, both silently hoping that she would be able to break through the Esper's hatred against humans in order to save their world. It seemed as if everything the Returners had ever worked for was for this very moment....

"U'HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE!"

"What?!" Terra suddenly cried, and whirled around, along with Gau and Mog, only to see...

"Kefka!" Gau snarled, although his tone was a little high-pitched due to surprise, and took a few steps back. Mog felt as if this brightly- colored and fully-plumed stranger who was only feet away from them was definitely bad news, and curled his mouth in a rather frightening glare. Kefka cackled happily and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Kefka...you followed us?!" Terra cried in disbelief, and Kefka cackled louder, his laughter overpowering the thunder's booms.

"U'hee, hee, heeee!!!! The Emperor was right! Let Terra fall into your hands, and you'd open the gate for us...! So!!!! How does it feel to know that you've been working for us....AGAIN!? MWA HA HA HA HA!" Terra didn't know what to say, she had truly been so horrified at the truth of Kefka's words, that they silenced her, but Mog let out a little growl, and Gau clenched his teeth together in frustration.

"Now I fear you have outlived your usefulness..." Kefka pretended to look upset as he cupped his hands together and began to form a glowing pink energy orb. Terra was frozen in place, but Mog quickly turned to her and waved his small hands frantically.

"Terra....the gate, quickly!!!" He cried. Terra blinked and snapped out of it, giving Mog a slight nod as she turned and began to run the rest of the way up the rope-bridge, despite the violent shaking her sudden weight stressed upon it. Mog turned back to Kefka and pointed his spear at him, letting out a little hiss.

"You'd better think again, Kefka!" Mog cried, and Gau held up his fists.

"Think again, Kefka!"

"Oh dear...you wanna fight me?!" Kefka cried out in a girly tone, and slapped his forehead in fake fear. "How dreadful...!" He shook his head and burst out laughing. "A wild animal and a Moogle with a broken spear...THIS should be good!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Gau screamed, and with that, took a flying leap on top of Kefka, knocking him straight to the ground and causing the fiend's energy ball to sizzle and smoke away at contact with Gau's bare flesh, causing Gau to scream louder as he pounded at Kefka mercilessly. Kefka began to howl as well and struggled to shake the child off, cursing and hissing as Gau leaned in and sank his fang-like front teeth into the squirming clown's arm.

"YOU LITTLE MONSTER!!!" Kefka shrieked, and with that, grabbed Gau by the neck and threw him aside violently, causing Gau to ram into a stone wall and completely black out. Mog squealed and quickly clutched at the Magicite encircling his chubby neck, closing his eyes.

"Life!!!" He cried, and a little golden and white angel appeared from a ring of light that poured upon Gau's body. The angel gently tapped the tip of Gau's nose and blew a kiss before disappearing in a burst of light, after which Gau moaned and sat up, rubbing the back of his head softly.

"You ok, kupo?!" Mog cried, and Gau nodded a little as he staggered to his feet.

"I'll get you too, you little white rat!" Kefka snarled, pulling himself up to his knees. "Just you wait and--" But suddenly, Kefka cut himself off, and Mog and Gau followed his startled gaze up to Terra and the Sealed Gate. With a low rumble, the gate began to crack open, and Terra had made the total transformation into her 'Esper' self, watching silently as she floated over the bridge and waited.

"The gate!" Kefka squealed.

"It's opening!!" Gau exclaimed.

"Espers!" Terra cried, and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes. "Please....heed my call! I am the daughter of Maduin!!! I seek your help...." The door slid open completely, revealing more empty darkness to Terra and the others.

"It opened!!" Kefka cried, too stunned to climb to his feet.

"Terra, look out!!" Mog cried. "Something is coming!!!" Terra blinked and let out a small gasp as a blurry figure suddenly dashed out of the gate, nearly striking her as it flew past the others and disappeared through the doorway from which they had come.

"I, I, I, I, I feel so anxious!!!" Kefka squealed again, and pressed his lips together evilly. Suddenly, another Esper came shooting out, followed by another, and another, until they were coming out in large and dangerous masses, threatening to crush anything in their path. Terra was violently struck by one Esper and collapsed onto the bridge, her Esper form fading away.

"TERRA!" Gau cried, but before he could go to her, Mog had pushed him down flat to the ground, screaming at him to cover his head as the Espers darted over their bodies. Kefka, too idiotic to take heed, began jumping up and down excitedly.

"Frightful energy...!" He exclaimed, but was suddenly swept away by the giant wingspan of a bird-like Esper, his cries fading as he was blown out of the Sealed Gate's chambers. "Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaa.............!"

When the last of the Espers had flown from the gate, it began to suddenly slam shut hard, causing boulders and rocks around it to crumble and fall right over the gate's doors, forming a perfect wall that blocked anything else from getting in or out. Terra moaned and tried to pull herself up from the bridge, her entire body ravaged and weak from her sudden expenditure of stamina with her transformation. Mog and Gau also stood up, a little shaken from what they had just seen.

"Look, gate!" Gau cried, pointing at the now completely-blocked Sealed Gate.

"What are the Espers gonna do...?!" Mog asked worriedly, and Terra suddenly spoke up, both to their surprise as she climbed to her feet and staggered dangerously.

"....Look...lets just return to the airship...."

**********

Mog and Gau both aided Terra as she limped out of the chamber of the Sealed Gate, and all three were surprised to see the sunshine-filled doorway that had previously been there when Setzer slipped through it. Terra looked to both Gau and Mog, who stared at the doorway and then looked back to her.

"...Should we try it, kupo?" Mog asked, and Terra nodded.

"That must of been how the Espers got through." Terra reasoned, and with that, the three took a deep breath and stepped through. There was a flash of light, but when Terra could see fully again, she realized that they were at the exit of the Imperial base, with the entrance to the Sealed Gate now behind them. Terra groaned and suddenly collapsed to her knees, causing Mog and Gau to gasp out.

"Hold on!" Mog cried, and cast a Cura spell on Terra to help her recover some of her lost energy. Terra smiled weakly and thanked Mog as she sat on the ground to take a few deep breaths, when suddenly, there came pounding footsteps from ahead of them in the base. Mog gasped and Gau got in combat stance, ready to take on whatever was approaching them. Terra groaned and looked up, her eyes widening when she realized who was approaching them hurriedly...

Chapter Twenty-Five - Gestahl, Lord Emperor of the Empire

"Terra!! Are you alright?!"

"Locke!" Terra cried, and jumped to her feet just as the thief caught up to her and the others, throwing his arms around her in a rather jumbled hug.

"Are you alright!?" Locke asked again, and Terra nodded, pulling away a little to push her hair from out of her eyes.

"I'm fine...Mog and Gau...they protected me from Kefka." Terra smiled gratefully at the two smaller Returners, who smiled back at her. Locke let out a sigh of relief and stepped back, pushing his bandana up on his forehead.

"So Kefka WAS there...But I suppose you managed to talk to the Espers if Gau and Mog fought him off?"

"Yes, I did, but..." Terra trailed off. "...We lost Setzer..."

"No you didn't!" Setzer suddenly exclaimed as he ran up to the group. Terra blinked and couldn't help but point her finger at him as if he were a ghost.

"Where did you come from?!"

"The same exit you did, silly." Setzer laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Although I couldn't find a way back into the Sealed Gate, so I flew back to Narshe with speeds faster than I had ever seen the Blackjack use, and picked up Locke and the others. The rest are waiting onboard."

"So that is how Locke got here too..." Terra nodded and pressed her lips together in worry. Mog seemed to be reading her mind.

"The Espers flew off together..."

"I know." Setzer said, his tone now darker as he looked to Locke. Locke sighed again and put his hands on his hips.

"But what way did they go?" Terra asked worriedly.

"Toward the capital...towards Vector..." Setzer trailed off, and Terra gasped.

"We have to go to Vector now! We have to make sure they don't do anything horrible!!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Locke cried. "Lets hurry up and go!"

The reunion on the deck of the airship was short-lived as Setzer demanded that everyone go down into the lower decks so that they would not be in danger when he raced the Blackjack to Vector. However, Edgar and Locke insisted they stay aboard to be with Terra while Setzer piloted, and Terra consented. Setzer revved up the engine and they took off roughly, the entire ship shaking violently as it lifted from the ground.

"We'll be at Vector soon!" Setzer called back to the others, but Terra was no longer paying attention. She was staring outside of the ship, and her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure of what that might be. She walked past Locke and Edgar towards the nose of the ship, her eyes narrowed as the wind whipped through her ponytail.

"There!" Terra suddenly cried, and pointed out in the distance at something small and sparkling. It almost resembled a shooting star in the middle of the daytime sky. Locke blinked and raised his hand over his forehead.

"What's wrong, Terra?" He asked, and Setzer looked up from the wheel to see what she was talking about also.

"I can feel it...it's coming closer and closer..."

"What do you mean, you can feel it?" Locke asked again, his tone slightly upset.

"It was...glowing...!" Terra cried again, and Locke frowned as he looked away from Terra and back into the sky, where he finally saw what she had seen. Terra became transfixed as the light came closer and closer, but Locke realized what was happening and became alarmed.

"An Esper!!" He cried. "Watch out, Terra!!" However, Terra did not reply, and before they could be struck, Locke dove on top of her and knocked her to the deck just as the Esper whooshed over their heads and nearly smashed into Setzer.

"AHHH!" Setzer cried, struggling to keep his grip on the wheel. "What the hell was that?"

"Setzer, get down!!" Locke cried, and with that, dove on top of Setzer too, just before another barrage of Espers ran through. Setzer gulped and closed his eyes tightly.

"E-E-Espers!!!!"

"Where are they going?!" Locke cried, sitting up from Setzer a bit. Terra calmly pushed herself up to her knees and stared at Locke.

"They were mad..."

They seemed...slightly angry." Locke said a little sarcastically. More Espers flew past the airship off into the distance, passing the Sealed Gate and crossing the ocean until they disappeared from the

Returner's view. Edgar made his way over to the wheel carefully to steer in Setzer's place as he recovered, and Terra climbed to her feet, cupping her hands over her mouth as she called out.

"No....stop....! Please don't go!!!!" Suddenly, the ship let out a violent lurch and the floor deck began to shake heavily. The Returners in the deck below could be heard calling out and squealing over the sudden new commotion.

"Forget the Espers!" Setzer cried as he ran his hands over the deck. "What's with this vibration!? Is it from the Espers!? Or is the engine..."

"Ummm...Setzer?" Edgar asked, and Setzer looked up at the young king, who looked terrified as he released his hands from the wheel, which was rotating in violent, swift circles all on it's own.

"I'VE LOST CONTROL!!!!!"

"Aiiiiiiiiieeeee!" Terra cried, and latched onto the closest thing to her, Locke's leg, as the Blackjack took a sudden nosedive and in a mess of smoke and screams, half-slid and half-crash landed in a small bundle of trees near the city of Miranda, an occupied town not too far away from Vector. There was a terrific boom of snapping tree-branches and scraping ship parts as the Blackjack slid to a complete stop nearly right outside the boundaries of the forest, but other than that, it was not really a dramatic crash. Terra groaned and let go of Locke's leg as she stood up and shook leaves and twigs off her clothing. Locke, Edgar, and Setzer stood up also, and the other Returners crawled up from below deck, all groaning about bruises and bumps as they piled onto the upper deck. Locke stood up on a toppled over crate and raised his hands to silence the chattering for now.

"Is everyone ok?" He asked, and there came a chorus of "yeses" and "yeahs". Locke let out a sigh of relief and pressed his hands together.

"Alright, now listen up...the Espers were heading towards Vector, and they apparently reached it and didn't find what they wanted, so they turned around and are now God-Knows-Where. However, we're now stuck here, so we may as well check out Vector together and see if anything happened, since we can't chase after them. Kefka may have returned to tell Gestahl that Terra opened the gate, and well....who knows what the hell the Empire is plotting next. However, we should be fine if we just stick together..."

"Good idea Locke." Sabin nodded. "Lets all confront Kefka together! He doesn't stand a chance then."

"I'm all for it." Terra rubbed at her forehead and stared at the others. "I really should apologize for this mess..."

"It's not your fault, Miss Terra!" Cyan cried. "You did your best, it was all any of us could hope for." Terra smiled a little and bowed in appreciation.

"Lets just see if there is any aftermath." Locke said. "I hope Arvis and Banon are ok..."

"They came with us on the airship, and asked to be dropped off in Vector." Setzer supplied quickly, and Terra raised her eyebrows.

"Then we should hurry! It's not safe for them there!"

"Grab whatever equipment you can find that you can use, and meet outside the ship in 5 minutes." Locke ordered, and with that, leapt down from his crate and tugged on Edgar's cape, gesturing for him to follow him off the airship. As the others scampered around to search for lost weapons and armor bangles, Terra let out a small sigh and buried her head in her hands.

She was positive that there was no way things could get any worse.

Of course, her 'very best', as Cyan put it, did nothing worthwhile for the team, and now there were enraged Espers flying out and about, probably ready to decimate every town on the world map.

"Please...please, let something positive come out of all this..." Terra mumbled into her hands. "Anything..."

**********

Locke was the first to see the long trails of smoke coming from the woods that Vector was settled into, striking fear into his heart, for the first thing he thought of was a raging forest fire. However, that was not the case. As the line of Returners marched into the forest and came upon the mechanical city of Vector, they were all surprised to see that the smoke and fire was actually coming from within it. Many wooden roofs of the poorer-built homes were lit on fire, as well as crates and barrels outside the homes. However, it almost seemed under control as the owners of the homes ran back and forth from the woods to the town, carrying buckets of damp soil to throw upon the fires. But other than the poorer people of Vector, the city was also filled with many, many Returners Terra recognized from the hidden base off the Lete River, and even more surprisingly, not a single officer of the Empire. A few of Narshe's guards were also wandering about, looking at everything in awe and wonder. Edgar pointed up on the stairs of the Imperial Palace, where Banon and Arvis were safely surveying the scenery from above.

"I wonder what happened..." Sabin trailed off as the group ran up the stairs towards the pair of elderly Returners.

"...I bet it was the Espers..." Mog gulped as he took in everything around him.

"Espers do bad stuff?" Gau questioned confusedly. "But I thought Espers not bad?"

"What a horrible mess...What a relief that Doma did not experience anything like this...!" Cyan added in nervously.

"Locke, Terra!" Arvis called.

"And everyone else!" Banon exclaimed.

"What happened?!" Terra cried breathlessly, and Banon and Arvis looked at each other.

"Truthfully...it was like this when we arrived." Arvis said, and Terra gasped. "We heard a commotion as we were getting through the woods, and there were Imperials running past us and screaming like there was no tomorrow...! I guess it was feasible they should think that though, based on what all happened..."

"So it was the Espers..." Terra tried to hold back a sob as she covered her mouth and hiccupped.

"Terra, it wasn't your fault...." Mog trailed off, and Terra looked away. Banon and Arvis raised questioning eyebrows at Locke, who shrugged them off. Gau suddenly let out a small growl of warning, and Locke looked up, only to see that they had been sneakily joined by a tall, pale, pasty man dressed in robes of scarlet and cream, a small white mask covering the lower portion of his face, and a taller scarlet cap that hid the top portion of his head, only revealing his beady, black eyes. Edgar quickly pulled Terra closer to his side, who gasped in surprise when she looked up and saw the intruder for herself.

"Who are you?!" Cyan demanded, and the man did a slight bow.

"I am the chancellor of the Imperial Palace. Come...The Emperor is expecting you."

"Expecting us?!" Locke cried, but the chancellor said no more. He merely turned and began to walk away, swiftly climbing the remaining steps that led to the Imperial Palace.

"Should we go, Banon?" Sabin asked, and Banon nodded a little, folding his hands together.

"Go see what Gestahl wants...we'll take care of things out here."

"But it could be a trap!" Edgar cried, and Terra shook her head.

"For some reason, I do not feel that is the case." She bit her lip and looked up at Edgar. "Besides...even if it is...I have to meet him. This Emperor Gestahl...he is the man behind all of this mess, right?" Edgar didn't quite know what to say, and Terra looked down at the ground.

"He is the man who murdered my mother..."

"Of course we'll go, Terra." Locke suddenly said, and gave her back a slight pat. "Don't worry, with all of us together, he won't be able to pull anything."

With Terra leading, the group then followed the chancellor into the looming metal palace, and down it's main corridor, passing many uniformed Imperial Soldiers on the way. However, instead of sneering at the Returners, the soldiers merely waved and carried on with their business. Terra raised her eyebrows and cautiously waved back as she continued down the red carpet behind the chancellor. At last, they came to a pair of double-doors which the chancellor pulled open and gestured for them to file inside. As soon as the last person stepped inside, he slammed the doors shut and caused everyone to jump, with Mog letting out a little "kupo!" However, this was followed by soft chuckling from the front of the room.

There, sitting on one of two metal-plated thrones was Emperor Gestahl himself, strangely the same as he had been in the 20-year old younger form the Returners had gotten to see back in Zozo. He was sitting up and laughing quietly to himself, politely covering his mouth with his hand as the Returners all turned to stare at him. Finally, the laughter ceased, and Gestahl cleared his throat, smiling brightly.

"Welcome, welcome, thank you for coming here on such short notice..." He began. "I can imagine how hard it must of been for you to trust me and come to my home...But before another word is said, I must tell you this now: I have lost my will to fight."

"....What...?" Terra whispered under her breath, and at that moment, the bumbling Professor Cid emerged from a door behind Gestahl, much to Locke, Edgar, and Cyan's surprise. They figured Kefka would of finished him off for sure by now...

"The Emperor has had a change of heart!" Cid cried, and Locke raised his eyebrows.

"Cid...what are you doing here?"

"I live here, thank you!" Cid replied, and his tone turned serious as he crossed his arms over his chest. "The Espers came to save their friends. When they learned the others had perished, they went berserk, and trashed the town... Never will I forget their shrieks of rage..." Terra let out a little gasp, and a sentry, which had previously kept himself hidden from the Returner's attentions, spoke up from a corner.

"We're hanging up our weapons and armor for good..."

Gestahl sighed and pressed his hands together. "The power of those Espers... I had no idea. They'll shred the world! We MUST get them to understand that we are no longer at war!" Locke blinked and Edgar crossed his arms over his chest.

"No human's gonna make them sit down and listen..." Cid trailed off. However, Gestahl suddenly broke into another smile and jumped up.

"But for now, my friends, let us feast and rejoice!"

"What the hell...kupo..." Mog muttered.

"Something DOES smell yummy, now that Gau think about it..." Gau whispered as he sniffed in the air. Sure enough, there was the definite makings of a grand feast being held somewhere nearby. Terra stepped forward, her arms rested across her chest.

"We'll accept your invitation to dinner..."

"Very good!" Gestahl smiled more, and Cid stepped up to Terra.

"But there are still some people who would prefer to keep fighting..." He trailed off. "Please, before we dine, would you go around and talk to as many soldiers as you can in the palace? Can you make them understand?" Terra raised her eyebrows, but she also nodded in understanding.

"We can do that."

"Thank you." Gestahl said gratefully, and prepared to retreat in the back room Cid had come out of. "Dinner will be this evening, at 6:00 o'clock sharp! Don't be late, hee hee, you won't want to miss this! My chefs have simply outdone themselves!"

"We'll be there." Sabin offered, and with that, Gestahl and Cid made their exits. Terra turned to stare at the others, a slight frown on her face.

"That was too easy..."

"Well, that may be, but lets just go around and chat it up with a few of the soldiers like he asked, huh?" Edgar suggested, and suddenly pulled a small bottle of cologne out of his robes, spraying at his wrists and neck.

"Edgar, what are you doing?!" Sabin cried, and Edgar flashed him a big smile.

"Surely, little brother, there are ladies to be afoot?" Edgar asked, and laughed happily at the shocked look on Sabin's face as he pushed through the Returners and made his exit into the main hall of the castle. Terra blinked and Locke groaned, slapping his forehead.

**********

Terra stifled a slight yawn as she wandered what she felt was the same corridor she had traveled the entire evening since her dismissal from Gestahl. She desperately wished she had some sort of way of knowing the time, so that she could know when this rather boring torture would be over with, however, she had not come across one clock the entire time she had been out and about. However, she had most definitely done her part of the bargain for dinner--She stumbled upon an entire quarter of soldiers and stood in the doorway nervously as she proposed Gestahl's plan of peace with the Returners to them. One soldier, boiling with rage at this (and probably drunk as well), threw an

empty glass bottle at Terra, who immediately cast Vanish on herself and watched as the bottle flew right through her body. She decided to also take that time to make her escape as the soldiers all gasped and pushed each other around to seek her out.

"I'm feeling...terribly sleepy..." Terra moaned, and gently slapped at her cheeks. "But I must stay alert...I can't depend on the others to analyze Gestahl and that weird professor the entire night, so I have to stay on my guard as well..."

Terra turned a corner and came across a place unfamiliar to her, which gave her the inkling that perhaps she had not been going in circles after all. However, as she proceeded down the hall, she could hear familiar shouts of anger and moans of disgust coming from one of the doorways in the corridor. As Terra stepped up on her tiptoes to peek through the small window on the door, she could see that it was actually a jail cell, a cold, drippy one at that, with steel walls and a steel floor, and alas, a matching steel toilet... However, it was the figure jumping up and down on his bed that really stole her attention--A rather ruffled-up Kefka screaming and throwing a hissy fit as he shook his fists and kicked at the walls.

"Grrrr! How DARE they put me in a place like this! I don't believe THIS!" Kefka squirmed and hopped off his bed, running around the room and kicking at whatever he could that made a nice, loud banging noise against the tip of his boots. His eyes fell on the toilet, where he proceeded to kick it and beat it senseless (well, if a toilet had senses), until he finally gave up and heaved himself down upon it, at which point Terra widened her eyes and turned her back to him to let him have whatever private dignity he could salvage, and began to promptly walk away.

"What a bore." Kefka said to himself as he sat there and mused about his revenge on Gestahl.

A few moments later, Terra ran into Locke, who was smiling to himself as he came around the same corner as her and accidentally smacked into her front. Terra gasped and stumbled back as Locke squealed and bent down, trying to salvage the shiny objects he had managed to pick up on his tour of the palace. Terra blinked and shook her head, pretending not to look as Locke stuffed the last GP in his pocket and whistled innocently.

"Terra!" He exclaimed. "Sorry about that...what have you been up to?"

"I've been horribly lost." Terra admitted. "But I did see Kefka..."

"Kefka?!" Locke suddenly cried, his pockets jingling as he grabbed Terra's shoulders. "Did he hurt you?!"

"No, no, he was in jail!" Terra exclaimed, and Locke blinked, pulling away as he scratched at his head.

"Jail, eh...? Hmm...something we will have to ask Gestahl about tonight, I guess. Oh! Speaking of which, that's what I was sent to do...go get you, because dinner is about to begin!"

"Thank the Gods, I'm starving!" Terra cried, and rubbed her stomach. "Lead the way..." Locke took her down the hall and through a few other confusing twists and turns until they finally reached the main corridor and went back up through the throne room into the back door Gestahl had used earlier. There, a long table, sized enough to sit at least 20 people, was covered in a fancy white tablecloth and covered with steaming hot dishes and delicate gold candleholders and lit candles. Gestahl and four chancellors sat on one side of the table, while the Returners had all crowded on the other side, leaving a seat in the middle of the table across from Gestahl empty for Terra. Terra sat down and Locke took his place beside her, and Edgar elbowed Terra from her other side, giving her a wink.

"Meet a nice guy?" He whispered, and Terra turned red as she shook her head and looked up at Gestahl. Cid suddenly burst in and took a seat at the Returner side of the table, next to Cyan, who stared at him.

"You can count me in as a Returner!" Cid exclaimed, and nodded to Gestahl. Gestahl nodded back approvingly and looked to Terra, smiling as a maid began to walk around the table and fill the guest's glasses with a sweet strawberry wine.

"Imagine!" Gestahl exclaimed, and smiled more. "All of us here together, sharing a meal! First, we must have a toast! But to whom?" He raised his glass and the others followed, with Terra speaking up.

"To our hometowns..."

"Well then, to our hometowns!" Gestahl exclaimed, and everyone clinked their glass against the person's next to them, Locke giving Terra a wink as he hit her glass.

"Good job kiddo..." He whispered, and Terra smiled, feeling a little less nervous. Gestahl took a long sip of his drink and set the glass down, folding his hands together as the maid then began to place servings of food down on the Returner's plates.

"As you know, Kefka's in jail for his war crimes. What shall we do with him?" The Returners that didn't know this murmured quietly among themselves, but Locke raised his hand and spoke.

"Leave him in jail...for now."

"That is a good idea." Gestahl nodded. "Let's let him stew in his cell for a while...and then we can decide what to do." He sighed a little, and then turned to Cyan. "I truly apologize about the poisoning of Doma. No one dreamed Kefka would actually use poison..." Cyan sat up a little straighter and narrowed his eyes some as he folded his hands in his lap.

"That was inexcusable." He said boldly, and the others nodded to back him up.

"I'm so terribly sorry!" Gestahl apologized. "Kefka's being severely punished, and we're taking it upon ourselves to clean up the poison..." He cleared his throat and swept his gaze over the Returners. "By the way...with regard to General Celes..." Locke closed his eyes and looked down, and seeing his pained expression, Terra raised her hand and Gestahl nodded to her.

"Celes...was one of us!" Terra declared, and Locke looked up at her in surprise. Setzer nodded a little to himself, and took a sip of his drink. Gestahl smiled a little, but Terra did not soften her firm tone.

"Kefka was lying. General Celes realized that this war was stupid before anyone else...That is why she joined the Returners...." Locke looked up and felt as if he were about to choke on air.

Celes wasn't a spy...? That meant...that day in the Magitek Research Facility...he had... Locke moaned a little and Terra turned to him alarmingly.

"Are you alright?" Terra whispered, as Mog asked Gestahl a question about Narshe's welfare. Locke nodded a little and looked at Edgar and Cyan, who also had the same guilty looks set on their faces.

"I'm fine...drink of went down the wrong tube..." Locke laughed a little and waved Terra away. "Don't worry." Terra blinked and gently patted Locke's back, smiling more.

"But you must be really happy about Celes though..."

"Any more questions for me?" Gestahl interrupted, and Sabin raised his hand.

"Why did you start the war...?"

"My desire for power got the best of me. Now I've come to my senses. With your permission, I'd like to talk about the Espers..."

"One more question, please!" Gau suddenly burst out, and Gestahl nodded, smiling at the young man.

"What is it, son?"

"Why you want peace now?" Gau asked curiously, and Gestahl sighed a little, leaning back in his chair.

"I feel we need each other's help at this time...don't you agree?" Gau nodded seriously, and Setzer raised his hand.

"Just one more question sir...Why did we have to talk to your men?"

"Some of my men refuse to embrace peace. I felt they'd understand if they actually met you face to face." Setzer nodded, and put a forkful of food into his mouth, ending that discussion.

"Lets talk about Espers now." Terra urged gently, just so that the emperor would not get impatient.

"Aha, excellent idea, Terra." He frowned a little though, and cleared his throat. "My Empire's been decimated by the Espers that emerged from the Sealed Gate. They're acting spiteful. Unless they're stopped, they'll rip the world asunder!"

"Yes..." Terra slowly admitted. "The Espers have gone too far..."

"After the Espers went on their rampage, I knew I couldn't go on with my war. I asked myself why I had started it in the first place. By the way... About those questions you asked me... That was the first one you asked, correct?" Terra raised her eyebrows, but did nod in confirmation. Gestahl nodded back.

"Right. Anyway, more than anything I want peace. That's my true dream! I want you to understand that!"

"You seem a bit tired." Cid offered. "Care for a rest break?"

"Yes, lets take a break." Terra agreed, feeling the fatigue Gestahl must of been feeling too.

"All will be put right if we can just achieve peace!" Cid exclaimed happily, and pardoned himself. Terra did so also, and went out into the hallway alone, pacing about to keep her thoughts in check and her body awake. Inside the dining room, she could hear Locke and Edgar accepting a challenge to duel a pair of the chancellors, which they won quite easily. Terra noticed that Cid was coming back and decided that it was time she returned too. She went back inside the dining room and took her seat, with Cid following a couple of moments later. Gestahl looked a little more refreshed himself, and Locke and Edgar were slipping each other victory signs as they both sat down.

"Shall we begin again?" Gestahl questioned, and Terra nodded. "...Is...there anything you wish for me to say?"

"That your war...is truly over..." Terra trailed off, and Gestahl stared at her straight in the eyes. Terra felt a little uneasy and slid back more in her chair. Those eyes...they had been the last thing her mother had ever seen...

"I understand." Gestahl said firmly. "And I have ordered for this war to be over! But now...I must ask for a favor."

"I knew it!" Locke hissed, and Terra kicked him in the leg to keep him quiet.

"After they devastated my Empire, the Espers headed northward, toward Crescent Island. They must be found...! We must tell them we're no longer their enemy. After all that I have put them through, it is up to me to set things right. This is why...I need to borrow Terra's power. Only Terra can bridge the gap between Esper and human. We must make for Crescent Island aboard the freighter from Albrook. Will you accompany me?" Terra blinked and bit her lip, thinking about it for a moment.

The Empire wanted her to cooperate with them...but what choice did she have? Setzer's airship was out of commission, so there was no way they could get to Crescent Island on their own. The Empire was their best bet...

"Yes, I'll go..." Terra finally agreed, and Gestahl clapped his hands together.

"I'll have my finest warrior accompany us as well! General Leo!"

At that time, General Leo walked in from the throne room entrance into the dining hall, giving everyone a wave as he stood beside Gestahl. Sabin raised his eyebrows.

"I'm General Leo. Nice to meet you all." Leo smiled, and gave a salute.

"Aha...I'm sure I saw him at Doma..." Sabin whispered to himself. Leo looked over at him and Cyan right then, and frowned a little.

"Sir Cyan..." Leo trailed off and shook his head. "You...you are the liege to the King of Doma... Please forgive me for not being there to stop Kefka..."

"....It wasn't your fault." Cyan admitted flatly, and Leo nodded again as he looked to everyone else, and then to Gestahl.

"I'll be waiting for you in Albrook." Leo said, and with that, took his exit. Gestahl stood up as well, signifying the end of the banquet.

"We must find the Espers and come to terms with them! You are our last hope." Terra smiled some and bowed as she stood up and took her leave. The others soon followed her, and she led them into the corridor outside of the throne room, closing the doors so that no one could hear their discussion.

"If Terra goes, I'll go." Locke offered, and Terra looked to him.

"Are you sure...?" She questioned, and Locke nodded. Terra smiled warmly. "Thank you Locke..."

"But the rest of you stay here." Locke ordered. "I smell a rat..."

"Agreed." Edgar said. "It's hard to trust the Emperor, just like that..."

"We'll stay here and investigate." Cyan added.

"And I'll fix my Blackjack!" Setzer declared, and Locke smiled.

"Please do! And leave no stone unturned..."

"Right!" Edgar exclaimed, and slapped Locke on the back. "And you two, be careful!!!"

"Well, I'm off." Setzer gave a wave. "Come to the ship if you need anything before you go, you two!"

"Will do!" Terra smiled, and waved back before Setzer disappeared from their sight.

"Oh yeah....." Edgar tapped Terra's shoulder, and she turned to him. "Albrook is a port just south of here. So don't get lost, ok?"

"We won't!" Terra exclaimed. "Don't worry so much!"

"Don't worry about what?" A creepy voice asked from behind them, making Terra squeal and nearly fly out of her boots. She whirled around and saw the same chancellor that had taken them to the palace standing behind them with a long piece of paper in his hands.

"Nothing!" Terra cried, and wiped at her forehead. "What is it?"

"A message from the Emperor... Because you were able to talk to so many soldiers, you are to be rewarded as follows: Imperial troops have withdrawn from South Figaro. In addition, our troops have also pulled out of Doma. We hereby give you the right to take any weapons you desire from the Imperial base to the east, near the Sealed Cave. And this is from the Emperor himself..." The chancellor handed over a small blue bracelet to Terra, called a Tintinabar. "Your behavior at the banquet was impeccable. Please take this as well!" He also handed her a light pink anklet with a little red jewel dangling from it, called a Charm Bangle. Both were items considered to be of use in battle. "Well..." With that, creepy chancellor slipped away, and Terra let out a sigh of relief.

"He's weird..."

"But South Figaro is liberated!!" Edgar cried happily, and Cyan jumped up and down, which was a rather comic sight, coming from him.

"And so is Doma! Alas, what a joyous day!"

"You mean...joyous night..." Locke yawned and stretched. "I sure as hell hope we aren't leaving for Crescent Island tonight...That will be way too much for me."

"Im afraid we won't be able to leave at all if we don't get a move on." Terra urged, and Locke nodded tiredly.

"Yeah...better get going...except now that I think about it, we should stop at the airship before going into Albrook."

"Why??" Terra cried, and Locke blinked.

"...Just need a...tonic..." Locke nodded some and began to drag Terra away. "Plus I gotta unload all my new goods!!!" Edgar began to follow them and whispered in Terra's ear:

"Locke gets really seasick...so don't let him near your shoes, and let him hug his tonic bottle the entire time you are on the ship..." He laughed and stepped back as Locke continued to pull the now wide-eyed Terra away.

"Oh Gods..." She muttered.

Chapter Twenty-Six - Daryl, Mistress of the Skies

"So do you think the Espers are really all the way at Crescent Island?" Edgar asked as he sipped at a cup of warm tea a maid had provided for him and the others that were all gathered in his chambers that the Empire had provided him for the evening, or as they put it "However long until Lady Terra's return." The others had decided to stay together in his until they absolutely had to be separated into their own for the night, simply because it was the best looking and the most comfortable. Ah, the perks of being King. Arvis and Banon had been fetched from town as well so that they could rest with the Returners and learn about everything that the Empire had planned.

"I'm sure that Gestahl is not lying, although it does make me curious as to why they would go there." Banon said.

"But can we really trust the Empire!?" Sabin cried. "I'm still a little dumbfounded by it all!" Edgar began to snicker, and Sabin made a face at him. "Dumbfounded is a REAL word Edgar, and no, it does not mean I am calling myself dumb." Edgar's smile faded and he cleared his throat as he took another sip of tea.

"Oh...of course...erm, that was not what I was laughing at."

"Well, either way, what the Empire is saying makes sense." Arvis interrupted. "We just can't forget about the Espers. A lot of lives are at stake here."

"Kupo!" Mog agreed.

"Hmmph...well, either way, I shall not forgive Kefka, no matter what." Cyan snapped.

"Hmm..." Gau trailed off as he wandered about the room, sniffing at the different things within it, especially at the beautiful bouquet of flowers resting on a nightstand.

"What's up, Gau?" Cyan asked, and Gau turned around, shrugging.

"Smells like parent's house here...why so familiar?"

**********

"Hmm...the sunset is beautiful down here!" Terra exclaimed as she stared at the golden-pinkish sky in wonder. Locke nodded and smiled, putting his hands in his pockets.

"This whole continent used to be one heck of a place." Locke said. "Do you..."

"Remember? .....Yeah...." Terra nodded. "I sort of do. I moved around a lot, but I remember the friendly people around here and the beautiful flowers that grew in the towns..."

"Me too." Locke said. "I always ordered Rachel's flowers from Maranda..."

"...Rachel?" Terra blinked, and Locke sighed as he looked to her.

"My ex-fiancée...it's a long story..." Locke shook his head and suddenly smiled a little. "But look, there's the Blackjack!" He pointed ahead. "I'll just go grab my tonic, and you can go say good-bye to Setzer. I'm sure he is in the engine room."

"Alright..." Terra trailed off, and with that, Locke took off running for the ship. Terra followed with slower steps and eventually got there, slipping around the back to the engine room, where she could hear Setzer cursing, and another familiar voice shouting back excitedly.

"Wow, what a ship!"

"Damn...that landing really messed up the engine...It'll take a while to fix..."

"But I'll help! No machine can stump me!" Terra slipped in the engine room and saw Setzer scrambling from engine part to engine part, while the second voice, belonging to Cid, was looking around in awe.

"Don't touch anything!" Setzer shrieked, and Cid put his hands on his hips.

"Go kill time in the casino! I can speed this crate up!"

"....You little...!" Setzer growled and swung his arms. "Get outta my sight!"

"But I could really make this thing hum...!" Cid whistled as he walked out, brushing past Terra. Setzer looked up and Terra laughed a little as she stepped further inside and gave a little wave.

"You love this ship more than anything, huh?" She smiled, and Setzer laughed a little as he shook his head.

"Actually, when I was young...there was something else I was quite...mad about..." Setzer trailed off and turned away from Terra to dig for a wrench.

"...Huh?" Terra asked, and Setzer stood up to work on a part above his head.

"In my youth I dreamed of having the world's fastest airship." Setzer smiled. "And...At that time there was a young girl, who piloted the Falcon, the fastest vessel ever made. Sometimes, we were the worst of rivals, but other times we were the best of friends. We always egged each other on to go faster and higher....But when she disappeared with her ship... I felt like I had lost my spirit..." Terra widened her eyes and bit her lip as Setzer sighed a little and set the wrench down, looking to Terra.

"Poor Daryl...such a lovely, lively woman..."

"I'm sorry." Terra said sincerely. Between Locke and Rachel and now Setzer and Daryl, she was beginning to feel as if perhaps the love she still longed to feel with a person was even worth the pain of it all.

"Don't be sorry...Sometimes, Fate just rolls us a bad turn..."

"Terra! I've got it!"

"Ok, coming Locke!" Terra turned and looked back at Setzer. "We'll see you soon."

"Alright! I'll have this baby up and running before you reach Crescent Island!"

"Good-bye!" Terra called, and with that, turned to run and catch up with Locke, who was clutching his rather large tonic bottle tightly. Terra decided that she shouldn't say anything about Daryl for now--Just in case Setzer had wanted to keep it private.

When they finally arrived in Albrook, Locke and Terra went straight to the port since they were already a little late in getting there. There was a large ship waiting in the harbor, with General Leo standing on the upper deck with two sentries, talking with them excitedly. Locke and Terra were gestured onto the ship by a third sentry waiting near the ramp, and as soon as they came into view, Leo dismissed the two men he was speaking with and turned to Locke and Terra, smiling happily.

"There you are! I was getting a little worried."

"Sorry General Leo." Terra apologized.

"No need for formalities, just call me Leo." Leo said, and Terra nodded. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that another one of the Empire's generals and a man I hired in town will be traveling with us. They should be here any moment..."

"Another one of the Empire's generals?" Locke whispered to Terra. "I thought there were only 3?"

"Perhaps we were mistaken." Terra whispered back, and suddenly, Leo's face lit up as he peered behind Locke and Terra's shoulders.

"Ahhh! There you are! Miss Terra, Locke...let me introduce...General Celes, and Shadow."

Locke and Terra both felt their breath get caught in their throats at the same time as they both slowly turned around and stared at the two figures standing behind them. Sure enough, there was Shadow, dressed all in black, not a hair on his head having changed since the last time Locke saw him. Interceptor the dog was also with him, wagging his tail happily from between Shadow's legs. And beside him, staring straight through Locke with her frozen stare, was Celes. She looked a little

different from the last time he had seen her--She was in a new change of clothing, having abandoned the green Imperial uniform she used to wear. She was now in a form-fitting deep violet (almost black) sleeveless top with a pale brown leather vest hanging over her shoulders and matching leather armguards running down the lengths of her arms. She also had on matching tight leather pants that laced up on the sides of her thighs, revealing some of her pale skin through the criss-crosses of the laces. Her bandana was also gone and replaced by two pearl hairclips set on each side of her head, pulling back the sides of her hair from her face.

Locke parted his lips to say something, but found that he just couldn't. Terra looked Celes up and down and tried to get Celes to make eye-contact with her, which only happened for a brief moment before Celes looked away from both Locke and Terra and stared down at the deck of the ship. Leo blinked and looked between the four silent people in front of him.

"Is something wrong?" Leo asked, and Locke blinked, looking up at Leo quickly.

"...No..." Locke replied softly.

"Well!" Leo smiled. "Our departure isn't till tomorrow. I've arranged some lodging for all of you, so please, get some rest! We have a long day tomorrow." At that moment, a sentry walked up to Leo and gave him a quick salute.

"Uh, General Leo, the captain of the ship would like to have a word with you." The sentry said, and with that, Leo left, leaving Locke, Terra, Celes, and Shadow behind. Shadow cleared his throat, not having a problem but actually rather enjoying the thick tension around them, and Terra looked over at Celes again, a small smile on her face.

"Celes..." Terra stepped closer to her and reached up to touch her shoulder. Celes looked up from the deck to Terra, and reached up to tuck some hair behind her ear. "I-I'm glad you're alright..." Terra went on, and dropped her hand from Celes nervously. "Everyone was so worried..."

"I'm sure not everyone was as concerned." Celes finally replied, her gaze flicking to Locke's. Locke blinked and took a step towards her, causing her to immediately take a step back.

"Celes...listen..." Locke began, and stuck his hands in his pockets embarrassedly. "I..."

Celes narrowed her eyes and suddenly turned, taking off running down the ramp of the ship and out of the harbor before Locke could open his mouth and say another word. Terra widened her eyes and pressed her lips together in concern.

Celes...she must be really mad at Locke...

Shadow snickered a little and Locke looked up at him sharply, not bothering to even tell Terra that he knew him.

"What's so funny?" Locke asked edgily, and Shadow just shook his head, laughing more.

"Imagine...I'm working for the Empire..." Shadow smirked. "But don't worry...I'm not going to garrote you!" With that, Shadow turned and walked away himself, Interceptor following behind.

"Well gee, we wouldn't want THAT!" Locke screamed after him, and made a face, crossing his arms over his chest like a little kid. Terra looked up at Locke and then quickly looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to their embarrassing scene.

"Locke, why don't we turn in for the night?" Terra suggested, and Locke nodded a little as he reached down to unscrew the top off his tonic.

"Nuh-uh, wait until tomorrow." Terra said gently, and screwed the lid back on for him. "You're going to need it A LOT more then..." Locke blinked and turned red.

"Just what did Edgar tell you?!?!"

"Uhhh...lets go check out that inn!" Terra exclaimed.

**********

That evening, Locke found that he just couldn't sleep. The inn was perfectly comfortable, and he and Terra even got their own private chambers, but there was just something in the air keeping him from closing his eyes. After lying there for what seemed for hours, Locke finally crawled out of bed and looked over at Terra to make sure she was fast asleep in her own bed. When she didn't stir, he quietly snuck out of their room and outside. He yawned and took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again to take a quick look around. The entire city was stained in silver moonlight, giving everything a soft glow. Locke blinked when he peered out at the terrace just a few yards away from the inn, where a lone figure was standing and looking over the water below. Locke gulped and reached up, adjusting his bandana a little as he walked over to the terrace and leaned over the railing himself, staring at the silvery reflection of the person next to him. Her eyes narrowed and looked away from his reflection, her mouth set in a straight line.

"Celes..." Locke began, his eyes still on her reflection. She didn't reply, and he let out a frustrated groan, jerking his head up to stare at the back of her head as he reached over and grabbed hold of her hand. It felt very cold against his callused flesh.

"Come on...!" Locke cried, squeezing her hand a little. "Why won't you speak to me?!" Celes shook her head and looked down, some of her corn silk hair sliding over her shoulders and revealing her bare upper back to him since she seemed to of been missing her vest. Locke sighed and kept hold of her hand, trying his best not to let himself get frustrated.

"Even if it was only a little...I doubted you...But I'm still your friend...!" Celes suddenly whirled back around to face him, ripping her hand from his grip as she narrowed her eyes and opened her

mouth to say something. However, she thought better of it, and reached up to rub at her eyes before turning around and walking off down the street. Locke moaned and slammed his fist down against the railing of the terrace, lowering his head and clenching his eyes shut to fight back the oncoming tears.

"Celes..."

The next morning...

"Well, everyone here?" Leo asked. Locke nodded some as he cast his eyes down to the deck, mumbling yes as he brought his tonic to his mouth and took a huge swig of it down. Terra sighed a little and looked back at Shadow and Celes, who were sitting on two crates across from each other and having light catch-up conversation. She then looked back to Locke, and sighed again.

"Tell the captain to steer easy...I think Locke is lacking his sea legs today." Terra said, and Leo laughed a little.

"We should arrive by tomorrow morning, so if you get seasick easily Locke, you should probably just rest." Leo offered, and with that, gave a wave to Shadow and Celes. Celes nodded and stood up along with Shadow, retreating below deck with Leo following them. Locke groaned and took another swig of his tonic.

"I thought this stuff cured everything?!" He cried. "Worst 50 GP I've ever spent!"

"Maybe you should of went with some cider." Terra said thoughtfully. "Or maybe even an elixir..."

**********

That evening, Locke retired to bed as early as possible, exhausted from being sick and from being up all of the previous night. However, it was tonight that Terra could not bring herself to sleep, although she didn't have too terribly much on her mind. She sighed a little and looked up at the stars in the bright clear sky, thinking about how much they resembled the diamond rings that adorned King Edgar's fingers, and laughed a little to herself.

"I miss them..." She whispered. "I certainly hope that they are doing well...I wonder what we will do after we get back from negotiating with the Espers..." She rested her chin on her hands and smiled more. "The war will be over...and we won't have to fight anymore! And even better, Celes is back with us! I hope she and Locke have made up too..." Terra blinked and looked over as she heard footsteps approaching her on the deck, and saw that it was General Leo. He slipped by her side and propped his chin on his folded hands like Terra, and looked over at her.

"You alright?" He asked, and Terra smiled some. Leo smiled back. "Well, it certainly looks like you're feeling better."

"As opposed to...?" Terra trailed off.

"To the other night, at the banquet." Leo finished. "You didn't look so well."

"Well..." Terra shook her head a little and looked away. "It's sort of funny...I was used by the Empire...even had my thoughts ripped from me...But here I am, cooperating with the "enemy"...."

"People are people." Leo replied a little harshly. "Not all of us are like Kefka."

"What...what's with you...?" Terra asked, and Leo sighed.

"I knew you were being used as a kind of biological weapon... And because I didn't do anything about it, I'm no different than Kefka. I can understand why you don't trust people too easily. And I'm sorry for it. I'm apart of the problem." Terra widened her eyes and bit her lower lip, still turned away from Leo.

"I'm the product of a human and an Esper...will I ever be able to love someone?"

"Of course!" Leo cried, and reached up, gently brushing some of Terra's hair away from her face so that he could see her better. Terra sniffled a little and looked back to Leo, her eyes beginning to water.

"But...I haven't felt that way yet..."

"You're just young." Leo offered, and lowered his hand. "....But...I do understand what you mean. I only understand too well..." There was a sudden sound of new footsteps on the deck, and Leo looked away embarrassedly, giving Terra a slight pat on the shoulder before retreating back to his cabin below deck. Terra sighed and stared down at the dark ocean water, struggling to see her reflection, although it was impossible in the choppy waters.

But I want to know what love is now...! She thought to herself painfully, and nearly jumped as the footsteps came closer to her.

"Who is it?!" Terra demanded loudly.

"It's just me." Shadow said, and when Terra realized that his voice came from the opposite end of the ship as her, she turned around and peered at her shipmate. His back was turned to her, not that it really mattered, for even from behind and in the dark atmosphere, she could tell he was still wearing his mask.

"Thought I'd sleep under the stars tonight..." Shadow looked up at the sky, and Terra blushed a little.

"Did...you hear what we were talking about?" She asked nervously, and Shadow laughed a little.

"I didn't MEAN to overhear anything." Shadow offered, and Terra slapped her hand to her forehead.

"Umm..."

"I can't help you." Shadow interrupted. "You must look within for answers." Terra sighed and looked down, suddenly grateful that Shadow couldn't see her.

"Terra."

"What...?"

"In this world are many like me who've killed their emotions. Don't forget that." Terra nodded, even though she knew Shadow couldn't see her, and retreated back to her and Celes' cabin. She had had enough for the night. There was a lot to think about.

**********

"Urgh....Uoooh....Arg..."

"Ooh.....Oooooooooooh...."

"I think I'm gonna...AH!"

Shadow made a face as he looked beside him and saw a distraught Locke Cole heaving his full bottle of tonic and everything from the previous day's banquet back into the ocean. Locke groaned and pulled away from the edge of the deck, clutching at his stomach with one hand as he held himself up with the other. When he raised his eyes and spotted Shadow, he felt his pale face shoot right up to a scarlet shade and cleared his throat.

"Not a word of this to anyone else, o shrouded one..." Locke warned, and Shadow just stared at him in disbelief, thinking to himself: 'And just who am I going to tell?' Suddenly, Locke gasped and covered his mouth again, his eyes widening as he quickly whirled back around and shoved his head over the edge of the deck, cringing.

"I think I'm gonna...."

**********

"Terra?" Celes blinked as the door to their cabin opened, and Terra stepped inside, shutting it tightly behind her. Celes sat up more in her tiny bed as Terra walked over to her own and crawled back underneath the covers, raising her eyes to the general.

"Sorry, I hope I didn't wake you." Terra said. "I just needed some fresh air."

"It's ok." Celes replied. "I was just hoping you weren't seasick."

"Nah..." Terra laughed a little. "Although I didn't see Locke up on deck either, so I suppose he is feeling better from this afternoon. The poor guy." Celes rolled her eyes and with that, turned over on her side and pulled her covers up higher around her body. Terra blinked and sighed a little as she clung onto her pillow.

"Locke....he's really sorry, you know. The whole time you were gone Celes, he was worried about you the most...out of all of us. He couldn't sleep...he couldn't go on any missions...he blamed himself for everything. He was so frightened that you were...well, you know...."

"Dead?" Celes laughed bitterly and shook her head. "I almost wish I was. I had never felt more horrible and betrayed in my life than that day in Vector. His eyes were so cold...and his voice was so stiff...so full of hatred. The thing I regret the most about that day was letting him see me cry."

"Celes..."

"After I had warped Kefka and I out of the factory and back into the Imperial Palace, I was weak from casting the spell, and received the beating of my life right then and there. I thought for sure he was going to kill me right on the spot, but apparently, he remembered there was something else he had to do, and he left me, a bloody, bruised mess, in the hallway. Luckily for me, Leo happened to come through and found me there, although his face is the last thing I remember seeing before waking up in a bed in the palace. Leo came back shortly after I awoke, with a change of clothes for me and a proposal from the Emperor, who had seen to it that I was kept alive... Apparently, a lot had happened in the days that I was asleep...The Espers were running rampant, and Kefka had been thrown into jail for war crimes..." Celes sighed and pushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "Leo told me that Gestahl had plans to send him up to Crescent Island to chase after the Espers, and that Gestahl wanted me to go with him. I agreed because I owed Leo my life and I didn't want to see anything happen to him...but I had no idea you and Locke would be here as well. Anyway...that's my story. I guess I'm done with my half of catch-up time..."

"Well..." Terra sighed herself and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry about everything that you had to go through--"

"Don't apologize."

"....Alright...Um....but anyway...I found out...that I am half- Esper...and..."

With that, Terra told Celes everything that had happened since she had awoken in Zozo, the truth about her past, how Setzer had joined the Returners, Mog's rescue, and the journey to the Sealed Gate, where the Esper fiasco had ensued. She also went on about the banquet, and about how Gestahl had also asked her to go to Crescent Island, and how Locke had volunteered to accompany her.

"And that's really about it..." Terra trailed off and then remembered something. "Celes...are you apart of the Empire again...? I mean, Leo had called you 'General', and..."

"No." Celes answered firmly. "Never again shall I submit any of my services to the Empire, even if they have supposedly gone good. I am only doing this for Leo, and that's it. I will never forget being betrayed by them. I'm just like you Terra...you are only here for a greater good, right? It's not to 'help' the Empire."

"You're right." Terra agreed. "But after all of this, what will you do? Are you still a...Returner?"

"I don't know." Celes looked down at her mattress. "Does it truly matter...? Shadow isn't a Returner either..."

"But you're still one of us!" Terra cried. "I've become to think of all of you guys as my family...and I thought that after we found you, you would surely stay with us again..." Celes didn't say anything, and Terra pressed on. "I know it won't be easy to forgive Locke and the others who were with you that day...but he is very sorry...I should KNOW, Celes, I've been with him this whole time..."

"It's...not that simple." Celes sighed. "It's not as simple as forgiving and forgetting. Not for me, anyway." Terra blinked and shifted over in her bed so that she could face Celes' backside. She had no idea what Celes could of meant by that.

"Will you at least...talk to him tomorrow? Just to say good luck or something before we go off to search for the Espers...it will really cheer him up, I think..." Celes groaned.

"Oh, alright, if you promise to go to bed and let me get some sleep! Terra...you sure learned how to talk a lot since we were last together..."

"Sorry." Terra laughed a little and closed her eyes.

"Don't be sorry...I was only kidding. But I will say...something, ok? Good night."

"Good night, Celes."

**********

The next morning, everyone met on the deck of the ship, which was already bathed in warm and energetic sunshine from the bright blue skies above. Seagulls chattered and called to each other as they flew over the ship, gathering about the sentries who were tossing scraps of bread into the water to feed them. Leo finished down a small bottle of water and looked to Locke, Terra, Celes, and Shadow, who were awaiting his orders patiently. Terra looked between Celes and Locke to see if she could tell if anything had been said yet that morning, but it was obvious that nothing had. Celes

was staring at Leo with her arms crossed over her chest, and Locke was now nursing on a new bottle of tonic.

"We're almost at Crescent Island!" Leo declared. "When we disembark, we'll split into two groups. Celes and I will form one group. Terra, you can go with Locke and Shadow. If you spot Espers, report at once!"

"Alright!" Terra smiled, and Leo leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"We'll continue last night's discussion later...if you'd like."

"Very much so..." Terra replied softly, and pulled away. She couldn't help but blush a bit as Leo smiled at her warmly and walked off to go check on the captain. So Leo really did care about what she had to say! It felt...very nice.

"Hmm, we need to talk strategy here." Locke said, and looked to Shadow, who was kneeling down and playing with Interceptor. "We'll go downstairs in one of the cabins and talk about what we should do when we get to Crescent Island. Lets go, Shadow!" Shadow gave Interceptor a silent pat on the head and stood up, immediately abandoning the group to go below deck. Terra followed him but stayed close to the top of the stairway, wanting to see if Celes would do as she promised. Now alone, Celes looked up at Locke and put on a small smile, raising a hand and resting it on his shoulder, causing him to look back at her and lower his tonic bottle. However, he didn't smile back.

"Hey Locke..." Celes bit her lip and thought for a moment. "Um...I..." Locke blinked and then narrowed his eyes, shrugging Celes' hand off of his shoulder and depositing his empty glass tonic bottle on the deck right next to her feet, the drop causing it to shatter into several large shards. Celes widened her eyes and stepped back a little as Locke turned his back to her and began walking towards Terra and the entrance to the lower deck.

"Come on." He said coolly to Terra, and with that, retreated down to the lower deck.

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Strago, Master of Lore, but not of Deception

"We'll be at Thamasa any moment." Leo said, and Celes turned to face him, immediately reaching up to flick away a trailing tear. Leo raised his eyebrows, and Celes pressed her lips together for a moment, wrapping her arms around herself.

"This salty air is really getting to me." She finally lied, and Leo smiled a little, wrapping an arm around Celes' shoulder and giving her a little pat. He could very easily see through her fabrication, which actually surprised him. It never used to be like that with General Celes-- Her icy eyes and regal stance never gave her true intentions away, however, they were failing miserably now. She had definitely changed since they had last been together...he could tell the moment he had laid eyes upon her back in the Imperial Palace after being brutally beaten by Kefka. He also knew that it had been because of the Returners...

"Same here...I hate going to sea." Leo confessed. "At any rate, where do you suppose we should start our search...?"

**********

"What a cute little town!" Terra exclaimed, and Shadow raised his eyebrows as Interceptor let out a little whine. Lying ahead of the group was the quiet, little town known as Thamasa. It had been a short walk north from the nearly deserted harbor they had arrived in, at the tip of Crescent Island. Thamasa had one main cobblestone road leading down it's center that branched off every few yards to the various shops and homes that were set within. Nothing seemed to stick out too much except for the presence of a rather large mansion near the east side of town, and the small, bellflower adorned graveyard that was not too far away from the group. Locke took a deep breath and stuck his hands in his pockets as he stepped further within the town's boundaries, causing him to suddenly become the focus of many bewildered stares from the townsfolk. One woman nearly dropped her basket of baked goods when she saw the Returners, and without a second glance, ran off into the safety of a nearby shop. Terra noticed this as well and looked back at Shadow, who didn't seem moved by the odd reactions from the people. He just shrugged at her and patted Interceptor on the head.

"Maybe we should just ask a few people if they have seen anything weird..." Locke trailed off, and Terra nodded.

"Surely the Espers have passed through here...look at how nervous everyone seems..." Terra whispered, as she caught the stare of a little boy who glared at her and ran through the door of a home.

"Hey, you." Shadow suddenly grunted to a blonde haired man that was passing boy. The man jumped and whirled around the face the Returners, a look of confusion set in his eyes.

"Y...Yeah?" He asked, and Shadow put his hands on his hips.

"Have you seen any Espers flying around here?" Shadow flat-out questioned, and the man blinked, reaching up to scratch his head.

"Espers?" The man shook his head. "What in blazes are those??? If they're some sort of animal, you should talk to the old man at the northern edge of town. He knows almost everything there is about monsters and animals, even extinct ones."

"Hmmph." Shadow grunted, and waved his hand as if to dismiss the young man. Terra blinked and put her finger on her chin as he scuttled away.

"Lets go see this man." She finally decided. "He sounds like someone who can really help us!"

Without further argument, the Returners began to make their way through the rest of town to the desired location. However, along the way, more queer things about the town began to draw their attention.

The first was a young boy, probably only about seven years old, who was standing in front of a barrel that was tucked away behind the grand mansion. He was jumping up and down, letting out wild squeals as he clapped his hands together.

"FIRE!"

"What?!" Terra cried, whirling around to look at the child. However, he didn't notice her, and jumped up again, clapping his hands.

"FIRE!"

Suddenly, in a little poof of smoke, a small, ruby-red flame erupted over the barrel and quickly gave out. Terra blinked and her jaw dropped, with Locke and Shadow rather stunned themselves. Was that just...MAGIC?! The little kid finally noticed the group of people staring at him, and turned as red as the fire he had cast.

"N'ga....OH NO!" He shrieked, and with that, took off running around the furthest corner of the house. Terra turned back to the others with a confused look on her face.

"Was that..."

"It sure looked like..."

"Magic?" Shadow smirked a little and shook his head. "Impossible." Terra blinked, remembering the shocked look on Shadow's face just moments beforehand, but said nothing as she gestured for the team to continue on. Shadow was right. No one could cast magic without the aid of an Esper, with the exception of Celes and herself. It must of been a trick of the sunlight.

But, if there was one thing Terra had already learned throughout her entire journey, it was this:

There were ALWAYS exceptions to the rules.

**********

"Hmmm...the sunlight is far too bright this morning...it's bleaching out everything it touches!"

The young girl sighed and set down her still-wet paintbrush, not caring if the forest green hue dripped on the rich oak table it was resting on. The table had already been splattered with every other color from the rainbow, mostly from accidents and paint spills, although on a closer inspection, one could make out the faint mini-paintings of various animals and inanimate objects, like puppies and balloons. A half-blank canvas that looked as if it would someday become a landscape was set up on a petite easel, which the girl abandoned as she stood up and walked to her wide-open window, wincing a bit at the bright light pouring through. She had an innocent gleam in her cerulean blue gaze, and her cheeks were naturally graced with a faint pink blush that made her look as if she were always laughing. Sprays of short, golden curls were hanging out from underneath her rather large red hat that was decorated with yellow stars and flowers. A delicate pink ribbon was tied around the fluffy yellow feather piece that was also poking out of the hat, adding the dramatic final touches.

Her outfit consisted simply of a black tube top that was long enough (and tight enough) to be easily tucked underneath her rather puffy red pants that had little yellow starts embroidered among the ends of the legs. To finish that off, she was wearing a short yellow cape that fastened around her neck with a delicate black choker and a medium-sized polished pink stone, and a pair of dusty brown combat boots. Her very slim frame looked almost ridiculous underneath the large hat and puffy pants, but at the same time, there was something adorably magical about her presence.

The girl peered down and widened her eyes at a most peculiar sight. A middle-aged woman and her son that she recognized from the village were hiding in the shrubbery that acted as a border between her yard and her neighbor's. However, she immediately understood their purposes when she focused in on the child, who was crying quite loudly and holding up what looked like a very badly scratched arm. The mother was trying to assure him quietly as she gently rested her hand over the injured arm, which began to glow a faint green.

"Mama...it hurts!"

"Alright, alright...Cure..."

Suddenly a group of strangers...the girl could only count out three people...came up around the corner of the house and seemingly spotted the woman and her child. The woman of the group, a petite thing with deep green hair swept up in a ponytail let out a gasp that even the child in the window could hear, startling the mother and the boy. They quickly looked over to the group, where

another member, a young man with light brown hair, raised his hand in a friendly wave. The girl widened her eyes and bit her lip. Had they seen...?

"MEDICINE!" The mother suddenly burst out, and leaped up, running away quickly through the backyard. "Where is my Cure MEDICINE!?"

"Mama!" The boy cried out desperately, running after her. "Please cast Cure on me...!"

"Idiot kid!" The girl in the window declared to herself, and turned away from the window, smirking a little as she slammed the window shut and flopped over onto her bed, making herself pop up with a little 'squeak!' noise. She shook her head and looked up at the ceiling, raising her hand to push her hat up a bit so that it didn't fall over her eyes.

"Who were those people, anyway...? We hardly get strangers in town..."

**********

"You can't deny it this time!" Terra cried. "She tried to cast Cure! You've seen that spell Locke, you know it looks like that!"

"I saw, I saw!" Locke cried nervously, almost afraid Terra would pummel him out of frantic excitement. Shadow remained silent as he looked up at the house they were beside.

"Isn't this the place?" He asked dully, and Terra stopped making a scene as she looked up at the home and looked back at Shadow.

"Yeah...I think so."

"I'll check it out." Locke said, and with that, walked up to the front door and politely used the golden doorknocker. A few moments later the door opened, and Locke was surprised to see that they had been correct in choosing homes-- right in front of him was a short, elderly man with a wild tuft of white hair flying out from the top of his otherwise shiny bald head and narrowed deep violet eyes. His bushy white eyebrows matched his mustache that was blooming from underneath his rather large and red nose. He was wearing a tight black muscle shirt that revealed a surprisingly built upper body, although the rest was hidden underneath his large red and yellow cape that hung over his arms and sides. The back of the cape came up in a scoop neck that raised up and encircled the back of his head. However, it was not to be outdone by his deep blue puffy pants that were decorated with...what else? Little yellow flowers...

Locke blinked and tried his hardest not to laugh at all when he saw the odd little man, although it took everything inside of him not to. 'This village,' he silently decided, 'is truly messed up, in every way it could be.'

"Watcha want with me?" The man asked in a twangy sort of accent, although his voice was fairly deep and almost dignified sounding. Locke blinked, nearly forgetting just WHY he had come to the door, and quickly shook his head, putting his hand on his hip.

"Sir, me and my friends..."

"Strago."

"Huh?"

"My name is Strago Magus."

"Oh...I'm Locke Cole..." Locke turned and pointed to Terra and Shadow, who had come up from behind him silently. "This young lady is Terra Branford, and this is...Shadow." Strago's eyes quickly passed over Locke and Terra right to Shadow's form, looking him up and down suspiciously. However, that awkward moment quickly passed, for Strago returned his gaze back to Locke and let out a little "Hmmph", as if to let him know to continue. Locke blinked and then remembered what he was going to say. Interceptor let out a little whine, and Shadow looked down at him concernedly.

"Mr. Magus...Have you or anyone else around here recently seen a hoard of Espers flying around?" Strago blinked and put a hand to his chin, shaking his head slowly.

"Espers? Espers... Hmm...not really familiar with that word."

"But you've heard it before?" Locke asked hopefully, and Strago blinked again, quickly shaking his head no as he hopped up and down a bit.

"Nope, uhn...uhn...Can't say I have."

"Honestly..."

"Can't say..."

"I have!!!"

"That's odd..." Terra whispered under her breath, when suddenly, there was the loud sound of a door slamming, and Strago leaped up into the air, whirling around and giving the Returners a full view of the inside of his house. A few feet behind him was another doorway, and standing in front of it was a little girl with an obnoxiously large red hat and golden curls, with her hands on her hips.

"Hey...hey!" Strago cried, bringing his hand to his chest. "What in blazes...what're you doing?!" He shook his head. "Relm Arrowny, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" The girl, apparently named Relm, looked like she couldn't give a damn regarding that matter, and ignored Strago's comment as

she looked the Returners up and down, a small smile curling on her face. Somehow, she had known that those strangers had come to see Grandpa.

"Grandpa." Relm barked, and Strago glared at her heavily. "Who are these people? Friends? Can they use magic, too?"

"YAAAA!" Strago cried, and leapt over to Relm, slapping his hand over her mouth. "HUSH!" The Returners proceeded to blink in unison as they watched the mad scene unfold before them. However, at that moment, Relm spotted Interceptor, and let out an excited squeal as she rushed past Strago and dove to the floor, slapping her thighs excitedly.

"Come here boy, come here!"

Interceptor barked excitedly and ran inside to Relm's lap, leaping upon the girl's body as she laughed and playfully scratched behind his ears. Shadow let out a slight growl of discontent as Relm huggled onto Interceptor and nuzzled against his long nose.

"What a cute doggy!" She announced, and Shadow crossed his arms over his chest.

"Get away. He bites." Shadow warned, and Strago looked as if he was about to blow his top. Stomping down his foot, he pointed towards the door that Relm had come out of and let out a howl.

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!"

Relm looked up from the dog and smirked at Strago, sticking out her tongue defiantly.

"I will not! What a fussy old man!"

"Please..." Strago begged, his tone immediately softening. "Leave us!" Relm sighed and reluctantly stood up, brushing off her pants as she turned to go.

"Well...alright..."

Relm opened the door and disappeared behind it, but before he could be stopped, Interceptor ran in after her with an excited 'yip!'. Shadow groaned and slapped his hand to his forehead as the door slammed shut behind the pair, and Strago let out a nervous laugh as he looked over at the irritated ninja.

"Hoo boy...Seems to like your dog..."

"What a sweet puppy!!!" Relm sang out delightedly as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom.

"This is terrible..." Strago mumbled to himself, and began to pace about. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's no problem." Shadow said, much to Terra and Locke's surprise. "The dog usually doesn't like people, though..."

True that. Locke thought back miserably to many a time when Interceptor had nearly snapped his hand, foot, or other vulnerable body parts off. Just the memories made him wince in pain.

"Please excuse my granddaughter though." Strago added. "She's just young...It must be those raging hormones, eh? Ha ha ha..." Terra raised her eyebrows. She could not remember a time in her childhood where she told off her elders in such a vicious manner. But then again, kids were different these days. Generation X, or whatever...

"Umm..." Locke cleared his throat to bring an abrupt change to the subject, causing Strago to regain his composure and peer back up at the thief.

"This is just a back-water village." Strago said firmly. "We can tell you nothing about Espers..." Suddenly a tea whistle let off, and Strago deserted the team to go into his adjoining kitchen.

"I see..." Locke said between pressed lips, making it obvious that he did not believe the old man at all. Terra tugged on Locke and Shadow's arms, leaning in between them in a mini huddle.

"There's something wrong here..." Locke muttered, and Terra nodded.

"Let's have a look around."

Right then, Strago walked back in, carrying a tray with two teacups filled to the brim with steaming herbal tea. Locke looked up and gave him a friendly wave paired with a fake smile.

"Thank you for your time!" Locke declared, and Strago nodded happily, plastering a fake smile on his face right back.

"So sorry I couldn't of been more helpful!" Strago apologized cheerfully.

"Interceptor! Come!" Shadow barked, and a few moments later, the door that led upstairs opened and Interceptor came bounding out, followed by a sad-looking Relm.

"Oh...alright..." Relm pouted, and gave a wave to Interceptor and the rest of the Returners as they turned and left the house. Strago sighed and looked over at the girl as she stepped up to the front door and closed it behind them quietly.

Relm...the look on your face when you saw that dog...

For a moment, my heart stirred with some strange aching memory...

And that man...all dressed in black...his eyes...

...the same brilliant blue...

**********

"Poor Terra...she didn't look well at all when we left her back at the Inn." Locke said as he looked over a shelf full of bottles and medicines in Thamasa's Item Shop.

"It must of been the heat today." Shadow commented coolly as he picked up a bottle and looked it over. "We were out in the burning sun all day, and the summer here on Crescent Island is twice as intense as it is anywhere else. Plus, we didn't have any meals except for what we could swallow down on the ship here." Locke blinked and smiled a little as he watched Shadow read over the bottle's contents.

"How do you know the island's climate like that?" Locke asked curiously. "You study geography or something?"

"No." Shadow snapped, and with that, tossed the bottle to Locke, who caught it with one smooth motion of his hand. "That should be enough for Terra. It's supposed to cure sickness from the heat."

"Thanks." Locke said, and slid the bottle over the counter for the clerk to ring up. Shadow joined his side and let out a tired sigh as he buried his head in his hands.

"That lil' Relm though, she was a cutie." Locke smiled. "Don't see a lot of kids like that these days, all spirited and rude! Reminded me of when I was a kid..."

"Relm Arrowny?" The clerk asked casually as she placed Terra's potion in a small paper bag. "Did you know she's not really old man Strago's grandchild?"

"Wha?" Locke blinked and looked over at the clerk. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." The clerk nodded as Locke handed her 150 GP. "I hear that she is just a friend's daughter."

"Oooh...scandal in the back-water village!!" Locke laughed jokingly, and Shadow shot him a look.

"Ahem...lets go back to Terra, shall we?"

With that, Locke and Shadow returned to the Inn, and were both surprised so see how much darker the sky had gotten already. Night was quickly falling upon them. No one from the village remained outside, and the lights in all the homes above the Weapon, Item, and Armor shops were now burning brightly.

"So...we wasted a whole day's worth of searching here." Shadow muttered, and Locke looked up at him.

"Well we didn't have very many leads to go on...I guess tomorrow we'll just have to investigate outside the village." Locke sighed some and looked up at the sky. Tonight the moon was hidden behind a few dark clouds, and even the stars did not seem to shine as brightly as usual. He wondered if Celes was gazing at the moon right now too, or if she was sleeping peacefully wherever she and Leo had camped for the night. A pang of hurt tugged at his heartstrings as he remembered the hateful way he had glared at her on the ship when they last saw each other, filling him with regret. He decided that the next time they were together, no matter what, he would apologize again and not get angry if she rejected him. After all, he surely deserved it for his horrible behavior.

"Locke! Shadow!"

Locke looked up and saw Terra waving at them from the doorway of the Inn, smiling weakly. She was barefoot, and looked ready to go to bed for the night. She was paler than usual from not feeling well, but she did look better than before.

"Got you something to help you sleep." Locke smiled some, and handed her the bag.

"Thank you Locke." Terra said, and gave him a friendly hug. Locke shook his head and pointed to Shadow.

"You should really thank him, he's the one who picked it out." With that, Locke tugged on Terra's ponytail and pushed past her into the Inn. Terra smiled at Shadow and hugged him too, but only felt his body tighten up in unfamiliarity in reply. She frowned a little and pulled away, clearing her throat.

"...Thank you."

"I'm tired." Shadow grunted, and with that, went inside the Inn, following Locke's lead. Terra blinked and bit her lip as she watched him go, remembering his words to her on the ship.

"In this world are many like me who've killed their emotions. Don't forget that."

Later that night...

"HELP! LOCKE, TERRA, SHADOW!!!"

"Hey old man, what the hell do you think you're doing?! You can't just come in here in the middle of the night and start screaming...."

"Shut up!!!"

"Ugh..." Locke moaned and opened his eyes, swearing he just heard someone call his name. A moment later, Strago rushed inside his, Terra's, and Shadow's bedroom, waving his arms frantically

while he banged a silvery- blue rod against the walls to help make more noise. Locke let out an agonizing cry as he sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, Terra also rising quickly and yawning as she begged Strago to be quiet, for anyone else's sake that was in the Inn.

"This is AWFUL!" Strago cried, his eyebrows furrowing in worry. "Relm...she's..." Terra widened her eyes and cut her yawn off short.

"Relm is in danger?!" She cried, and Strago nodded, jumping up and down and nearly on the brink of tears.

"Yes! She was spending the night at a neighbor's house when a FIRE broke out..." He heaved a loud cough and began to shake. "I won't be able to stand it if something happens to her...she's all I have in this world! Please, won't you help??"

"Of course!" Terra cried, and with that, leapt out of bed and ran out of the Inn with Strago. Locke moaned and quickly crawled out of bed, turning towards Shadow. Both of the men failed to notice Interceptor slipping out of the Inn and following Terra and Strago.

"Shadow!" Locke cried. "Didn't you hear? Relm is..." Shadow let out a groan and waved a hand at Locke, as if to dismiss him, and turned in bed so that his back was facing the young man. Locke turned red with anger, but held his tongue as he quickly turned himself and ran out of the Inn, seeing that nearly the whole village was aglow with a faint red light as soon as he stepped outside.

"What the hell..." Locke muttered, and looked up when he realized what could of been so large enough to light up the entire town.

The old mansion just yards away was completely consumed in flames!

**********

Shadow sighed and reached over to gently stroke at Interceptor's ears, a little shockwave of alert running through his body when his hand fell to the bed and rather not the dog's head. He opened his eyes and looked down, confirming his fears when he saw that Interceptor was no where in sight. He sat up in bed and took a nervous breath, sweat beads forming on his forehead as he called out:

"Interceptor! ...Where are you?!"

Chapter Twenty-Eight - The Magical Artist of Questionable Origin, Relm

"That little boy that had been hanging around the house before..." Locke murmured to himself as he watched the mansion smoke and burn before his very eyes. "It must of been his Fire spell..."

"THIS is the place?" Locke heard Terra cry as he rushed up to her and Strago.

"Yes!" Strago whimpered. "Relm's inside that house!" Suddenly, a large portion of the roof collapsed in a burst of new flames, causing Strago to cry out again and reach out towards the house.

"RELM!!!!!!"

He shook his head and pressed his hands together, closing his eyes as he began to murmur underneath his breath. Terra widened her eyes, and Locke bit his lip. He sort of knew what was coming.

"What...are you...doing...?" He trailed off, and with that, Strago spread his arms wide and tilted his head back, opening his eyes.

"Flames BE GONE! Aqua Rake!"

Suddenly a blue aura began to glow around Strago's hands, and a colorful, sparkling spray of bubbles began to appear from thin air, crashing into the house and struggling to drown the flames. However, it did not have much of an impact, and therefore, Strago returned to casting stance to try again. Locke and Terra turned to each other, eyes wide and mouths gaping open. At that moment, an elderly man in deep red robes ran over to Strago and the Returners, shaking his fist at Strago threateningly.

"You fool! You know that using MAGIC is forbidden!"

"Magic...?!" Terra cried, and looked over at Strago. Despite it being a spell she had never heard of or seen before, there was no doubt about it that it was truly some form of magic! She was terribly confused as to why Strago, the young mother, and the little boy in the village all wielded the same powers that she herself had been born with, but she knew now was not the time to ask questions. A young girl's life was at stake...

"I don't care!" Strago cried. "Relm is inside! I have got to save her!" He turned away from him at that moment, and cast another spell.

"Flames BE GONE!"

"Mayor!" Another citizen cried, and the Returners whirled around, seeing that it was the woman who was about the cure her injured son from earlier in the day. "Please! What good is this wretched power if we cannot even use it to save an innocent life?"

"Wretched power..." Locke trailed off.

The mayor sighed and nodded, lowering his head a bit.

"You're right...we really have no choice!" He looked to Locke and Celes. "Stand back!" The two did as they were instructed, and the mayor raised his hands, crying out:

"Flames BE GONE!"

"Flames BE GONE!" Strago followed, and even the young woman helped out.

"Flames BE GONE!"

More citizens from the town came scrambling over, all chanting out various spells, desperate to help as well. Sparkling bubbles and soft blue light struck the flames of the house, however...

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

The whole town let out an uproar as a large portion of the house suddenly collapsed in on itself, causing even more flames to leap up from the smoldering mess and lick at the black sky above them. Strago let out a defeated moan, and clutched his rod so tightly, his gnarled knuckles turned white.

"It's no use! The fire is far too strong!" He said, and the mayor nodded.

"I think it's because that family kept so many fire rods in there..."

"What are we going to do!?" Terra cried, and Strago sighed, pushing his cape back over his shoulder.

"I'm going in!"

"Wait!" Terra cried, and Strago looked to her. "I'm going too!"

"Count me in." Locke volunteered, and patted Strago on the shoulder. "You'd better stay here, Gramps! It's far too dangerous. We'll be sure to find Relm!"

"Fool!" Strago cried, and slapped at Locke's hand bitterly. "I may be old, but I'm not powerless!" Locke was about to open his mouth to protest again, but another sickening crash of collapsing wood and roaring flame taking it's place interrupted him.

"This is not a time to argue!" Terra cried. "Quickly!" Locke and Strago nodded, and with that, the three ran inside the house, the door collapsing in behind them...

"Ugh..!" Locke moaned, his eyes immediately watering due to the bright light being cast from the dancing flames around them, and the heavy smoke that was coming up from holes in the floors in billowing waves. Ever worse, the house had become infested with a type of monster called a Bomb, a fire-red creature that was attracted to open flames and often basked in them for a replacement in energy like a human would in a Recovery Spring. The Bombs were flying all about, letting out low hisses of laughter as they rolled about in the flames that crawled up the walls and the wooden floor panels.

"Try...to avoid the flames..." Locke coughed, and Terra looked to him concernedly.

"That is easier said than done..."

"We must hurry! We have to find Relm!" Strago cried, and with that, charged ahead of the group, the small sapphire at the top of his rod shining brightly with a delicate blue light as he effortlessly slashed through the flames and Bombs that were in his path with it. Locke and Terra blinked, and ran after him, amazed at the power this old man had harbored within him.

However, several paths that the team could of had the option of taking were blocked by either gaping holes or flames too strong to be vanquished by Strago's ice rod, so the Returners and their companion were forced to pretty much go in one direction the whole time-- up. The team climbed staircase after staircase, shouting out Relm's name as loudly as they could and listening to see if she called back. The higher the team went, the more blistering the heat and more blinding the smoke became, and soon Locke, Terra, and Strago could hardly breathe without coughing or choking deeply. Throwing open a door in front of him, Strago rushed in and lowered his head, coughing loudly as he struggled to wave the smoke away from him with his weapon. Terra looked around the room and let out a frightened gasp when she saw what was looming in front of them...a large, fiery ball of flames that was sizzling and boiling in it's own gasses, surrounded by six rather large Bombs.

"What is that?!" Terra cried, and Strago looked up.

"This must be the ultimate source of our blaze!" Strago exclaimed. "It is called a Flame Eater...think of it as a rather evolved form of the Bomb. It too, is attracted to large flames and lives off of them for as long as it can manage, often expelling flammable gasses and toxins so that the fire will grow bigger, therefore providing it with more energy..."

"Skip the lesson Grandpa, we're in deep shit!" Locke cried, looking around and realizing that the Bombs had slowly managed to surround the team.

"We must defeat the Flame Eater, or else we'll be trapped!" Terra cried, and pulled out a shard of Magicite, tossing it into the air. "SHIVA! Please, Goddess of Ice, come to our aid!" At that moment, the area surrounding the Returners washed over in a frosty blue color, and Shiva flew in like a phantom, raising a sparkling wand that was clasped in her hand and crying out foreign words,

causing the sapphires and other gems that adorned the top of her wand to burst into thousands of little pieces. The gem dust sparkled about the Bombs and Flame Eater, causing them all to let out roars of rage as the dust neutralized their defenses. It was so effective against the Bombs, that their bodies completely froze over and collapsed to the floor, shattering into hundreds of pieces as they died and faded away, along with Shiva herself. Now just left with facing the Flame Eater, Locke, Terra, and Strago all turned to it and let out a full-frontal assault.

"Blizzara!" Locke exclaimed, and watched as large, glimmering icicles flew out from the ceiling and struck themselves down upon the enemy, causing it to howl in pain as more of it's flames became neutralized. The ball of fire began to shrink a bit, trying desperately to recover itself but not succeeding.

"Locke!" Terra exclaimed happily. "Did you learn that from Shiva?!"

"She's a good teacher." Locke winked, and with that, cast another brutal Blizzara spell. Strago raised his ice rod and struck at the Flame Eater repeatedly as he channeled more Aqua Rake spells, and Terra summoned up Bismark, the lord of seas, washing the Flame Eater over in decimating waves of water and bubble spray. However, before anyone else could conjure up a new spell, the Flame Eater let out a struggled cry and began to disintegrate into little bits of blackened ash and smoke. With a loud crack and a flash of light, it burst from the inside, completely destroyed. Letting out a little cheer, Terra leapt into the air.

"We did it!" She exclaimed, but cut herself off when her gaze caught on something that was cowering in the back of the room. There was Interceptor, Shadow's dog! It let out a low whimper and frantically pushed his nose into something too small for Terra to make out, so with that, she proceeded ahead to investigate. Strago whirled about and began to call out again:

"RELM! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

"Strago!" Terra suddenly cried, and gestured for the others to join her. Locke and Strago ran over, ignoring the flames that licked at their clothing as the looked down and saw what Interceptor was poking and licking at. It was Relm's delicate frame, and the girl was out cold, her eyes closed and her cheeks smudged with ash.

"Relm!" Strago cried, and bent down to scoop her into his arms. "Lets hurry out of..." Suddenly, another chunk of the roof collapsed, the large and flame-ridden pieces of wood pouring down upon the unsuspecting Returners, and Strago...

"Ugh...!!!!" Locke moaned as a piece of roof struck the back of his head, causing him to fall to the floor, unconscious and un-moving.

"Uwa...too late..." Terra moaned out, collapsing on top of him as Strago cried out and also met their fate, dropping Relm back onto the floor next to Interceptor. Interceptor let out a loud bark and began scurrying about the fallen heroes, pushing his cold nose into every face he could manage to

make them wake up. However, his tactic was not working, and things were beginning to look helpless. A swarm of Bombs came upon the party, causing Interceptor to bark out loudly and leap at them, desperately trying to keep them from feasting upon the unconscious bodies behind him. But more Bombs were moving in, and Interceptor couldn't hold them all back...

Suddenly, a lone figure, draped in black, dropped into the burning mansion from a hole in the roof, landing on the near-collapsing floor with the impact of a feather. Looking at the pitiful scene before him, he drew a dagger and in one swift charge, sliced through every flaming foe in his path. The Bombs cried out, decimated in one blow, and disappeared in little poofs of smoke. Interceptor looked up curiously at the man and let out a soft whine, nudging at Relm's lifeless body. The man nodded and reached in a hidden pocket, revealing a small glass bottle filled with a cloudy liquid.

"Time to get the hell out of here." He muttered, and tossed down the bottle, surrounding himself and the fallen group in a curtain of misty white smoke. Moments later, they were gone.

**********

The Next Morning...

"Are you ok, dear?" Strago asked soothingly, pushing back little curls behind Relm's ears as she nodded and sat up in bed a bit.

"Yes. Thank you Grandpa...!" She coughed and covered her mouth, wincing a little. She had been the last to wake up, only moments ago, in her own bed. How she had gotten there, she had no idea. Last she remembered, someone had taken her into their strong arms, a rough but familiar voice mumbling out her name.

"You should save your thanks for these people." Strago said, and gestured towards Terra and Locke. A bit battered, but otherwise fine, Terra and Locke both walked closer to Relm's bedside and smiled warmly. Relm looked up at them and smiled back a bit. Shadow was sitting idly in the back corner of the room by the staircase leading downstairs with Interceptor, remaining absolutely silent. He did not desire credit for what he had done last night in the fire.

"Thank you..."

Strago sighed and began to pace around again, shaking his head. Terra and Locke both looked up at him worriedly, and he stared back at them.

"I guess...our town's little secret is out now..."

"Oh..." Terra trailed off, remembering the whole scene with the mayor from the previous night.

"Can everyone here use magic?" Locke asked blankly. "I mean, now that I think of it, you didn't seem too surprised when Terra and I used Esper power last night...so you must of already been

exposed to something like that before..." Strago nodded a bit and looked at the floor. Relm remained silent as she watched the tension build between the strangers and her Grandfather. Surely, he could not hide the truth any longer. He had no right, after all that they had done for them!!! She decided that if Strago did not open his mouth and confess, she would do it for him.

"What's going on here?" Locke pressed on, and Strago sighed again.

"This is...the village...of the Mage Warriors."

Terra and Locke both raised their eyebrows, and Relm sat up in bed more, only knowing the story that was to come next too well.

"Long ago, humans would use Magicite...much like you two do now...to gain magical powers. They came to be known as "Mage Warriors". In a sense, you yourselves, are the Mage Warriors of today..."

"But I thought Mage Warriors perished long ago..." Locke trailed off.

"Not only that..." Terra interrupted. "When I watched you cast your spells, Strago, the aura around you seemed...drastically different from the aura Locke and I carry...Are our magics the same?"

"I am surprised you can sense something like that." Strago blinked. "But no, they are not the same, as I will explain to you shortly. "After the War of the Magi, the Espers fled to their new world behind the Sealed Gate. They wished to live peacefully, without fear of being used by humans, and they also left the Mage Warriors here to fend for themselves. But they were despised by normal people. Everyone felt they had begun that war... They sent people to hunt them down like animals. There weren't even trials..." Terra gasped and walked over to Strago, resting her hands on his shoulders. He was nearly a foot shorter than her, but she still looked him straight in the eye, her heart aching with sympathy.

"Even though the only difference between Mage Warriors and normal humans was them being able to use magic...?" Strago nodded, and Terra bit her lower lip.

"A few Mage Warriors escaped and found their way here at Crescent Island. They founded Thamasa, and they are the ones Relm and I, as well as the rest of the village, call our ancestors. Our powers have weakened over time, for many reasons. For one, we could not gain any more abilities, for we had no access to any more Magicite except for what the Espers left us with, which wasn't much. Also, despite not having too much contact with the outside world, many generations of Mage Warriors ended up getting married to outsiders, thus thinning the magical blood that was carried by their offspring. However, today, some of that power still remains, although it has taken on different forms. The citizens of Thamasa today can only use the basics, such as Cure, Fire, and Ice, but then there are others, like me, who cannot at all, but have another form of magic. It is called Blue Magic, or Lore, and it is the art of learning the powerful magic certain monsters on the continent use. I have

to hunt the monsters, but when they attack me with certain techniques, I can apply them to my memory instantly and use them as my own from that moment on."

"That's incredible!" Terra exclaimed. "I had no idea that sort of power ever existed! Then I suppose Relm can use Lore too, since she is your grandchild?" Strago blinked and Locke widened his eyes, remembering what the shop keeper had told him about Relm the other night.

"Well, no, she can not." Strago said, gesturing towards the little girl. "I'm afraid she didn't inherit any of my powers...in fact, she has barely any magical ability at all. Her father was a common man, and her mother had very weak magical ability."

"How...odd...that your daughter, whom I can only presume was her mother, did not inherit any of your abilities as well..." Locke trailed off suspiciously, and Strago nodded, keeping a straight face, although he could not help but think that Locke somehow knew the truth...

"Aha, her mother WAS my daughter. But I'm afraid I am a master of Blue Magic, and not of genetics. It was unfortunate that Relm did not inherit any magic, but I am also grateful for her. She will someday be able to grow up and leave this village to venture out into the rest of the world, and become whatever her heart longs to become, never having to fear persecution or racism from anyone because of her ancestry."

"That's a good point...but it is also slightly disturbing." Terra mused. "For I too, have suffered much from the persecution of others for being different...but I had the mild hope growing up that the children of the next generation would never have to feel what I felt, regardless of who or what they were. It breaks my heart knowing that there are still people out there that would prey on the spirit of an innocent child, just because of their abilities." She looked to Relm, who was staring right back at her, wide-eyed.

This young woman is full of insight and wisdom beyond her years... Relm thought curiously. Who is she...? Who are these people?!

Terra turned away from Relm a few moments later, looking back to Strago.

"Listen...if you're up to it, we could use your help." Terra offered. "Your powers would make an incredible asset to our team. We're called the Returners, and we are a resistance movement against the Empire. I am sure you have heard of them..."

"We've heard disturbing stories." Strago nodded. "Luckily though, our village seems to be the least of their concerns at the moment."

"At any rate, right now Locke and I...oh, and Shadow too, are trying to find the Espers that escaped from the Sealed Gate. They have been wrecking havoc, but all we want to do is tell them that the Empire desires peace with them. They completely leveled the Imperial Capital, Vector, and the Emperor supposedly wants to make a truce. Many innocent people were killed in the attack."

"Emperor Gestahl desires peace..." Strago trailed off, and Terra nodded.

"Either way, we still want to reach the Espers and tell them that no one wishes harm to any of them. The lives of more innocent people will be at stake if they continue their rampage, and what we wish to do more than anything else right now is prevent more bloodshed."

"So...you're after Espers, eh?" Strago mumbled, and brought his hand to his chin in thought. "Well, I owe you for saving Relm. I shall help you find your Espers."

"Oh, me too!" Relm exclaimed, bouncing up and down in the bed excitedly, but Strago glared at her and shook his head.

"I don't think so, young lady!"

"Grrrr...what a fuddy-duddy..." Relm muttered, and began to curse underneath her breath.

"But where would we start looking?" Locke questioned worriedly. "We haven't had much luck since we've arrived here."

"Hmm...well if they're here, they are sure to be hiding in the mountains to the west." Strago determined.

"Why there?" Locke asked.

"Those mountains have very powerful magical properties." Strago said. "They say...our ancestors, that is, that the first Espers were actually created there."

"Maybe they are drawn to that place!" Terra exclaimed, and with that, Shadow and Interceptor took their leave, going downstairs.

"I think it's worth a look." Locke said, and with that, he, Terra, and Strago went downstairs also, leaving poor little Relm in bed, scowling at her being left behind.

Outside of Strago's house, the team encountered Shadow and Interceptor waiting for them on the main street of town. Strago opened his mouth to thank Shadow for his rescue last night, but Shadow anticipated this and shook his head.

"Don't misunderstand me. I just wanted my dog back."

"Are you going somewhere?" Locke asked concernedly.

"I'll search for the Espers my own way." Shadow said. "I work better alone, you know." Right then Relm appeared outside and ran over to Interceptor, huggling onto the dog tightly. Interceptor jumped up happily and began to lick at her face.

"Interceptor! Come!" Shadow cried, and with that, Interceptor pulled away from Relm, looking back at her once more before trotting off with his master, soon disappearing from everyone's sight. Relm let out a disappointed sigh and immediately ran back inside, slamming the door behind her.

"Never mind him." Terra said gently when she looked at the shocked expression on Strago's face. "He's always like that."

"I know..."

"What?!"

"Uh, sorry, just mumbling to myself." Strago laughed a little and tapped his ice rod on the ground. "So, shall we get going? The day is young, and today, ho ho ho, I feel as if I am tooooooo!"

"Oh man..." Locke moaned, slapping his forehead. "Just lead the way already...!"

**********

"What happened here last night?" Celes blinked as she looked around.

"There must of been a huge fire." Leo said, pressing his lips together. "Can't imagine what could of caused it..."

"Hello, can I help you?" A young man asked, tapping Leo on the shoulder. Leo and Celes whirled around, and Celes pointed to the mansion, now burnt to the ground in a smoldering pile of ash.

"What the hell happened?!" Celes shrieked, and the man blinked.

"Oh goodness, it was the biggest blaze ya ever did see last night! Some kid supposedly started the fire, but it got so bad that flame-dwelling monsters swarmed into the mansion itself to feed on the fire! Unfortunately also, there was a young girl trapped inside. Her grandfather, Strago Magus, and a green-haired woman and a man with a bandana tied around his forehead ran inside to rescue her, but no one saw any of them come back out. After they were in there for about an hour, the remaining roof on the house collapsed, and the whole building literally went down with it moments later. The weird thing is though, just this morning, I saw Strago in the Item Shop while I was there, and he was asking about potions that would help relieve fatigue for his granddaughter. But I didn't see the two young people that went in with him...I think they didn't make it. It's a damn shame though, that someone should die like that..." Celes widened her eyes and looked to Leo, who was staring at her, not being able to imagine how she would react to that.

"A green-haired woman...and...a man...with a bandana..." Celes mumbled, and suddenly felt as if she were about to collapse. Closing her eyes, she bit down on her lower lip and suddenly swayed backwards, Leo gasping out as he caught her falling body.

"Celes!" Leo cried, and Celes closed her eyes tighter, her voice cracking as she clung onto her friend.

"Terra...! Locke...!!"

"Celes, please, let's get you somewhere to lay down." Leo offered worriedly, glaring at the young man as he stared at Celes and quickly ran off to go back to his business. Celes opened her eyes, on the brink of tears as she dug her fingernails into Leo's flesh and screamed out, her voice cutting through the peaceful air of the town like a sharpened dagger:

"LOCKE!!!!!!"

**********

The caves that the Returners had been navigating through all afternoon reminded Terra strangely of the little caves back on Mt. Kolts so long ago, but there was just something refreshing and invigorating about the air surrounding these magical mountains. Unfortunately, also much like the caves of Mt. Kolts, Terra got the inkling that they were being followed by someone. And when she looked back to spot their not-so-experienced stalker, she often saw flashes bouncy curls and a familiar red hat...

However, she simply smiled to herself and kept her mouth shut. Things would get interesting later, she was sure.

"I see a bit of light coming from in here." Strago motioned to a open entryway in front of the group as Terra whirled back around, and Locke stood up from investigating a shiny rock that for a moment, he almost thought was treasure.

"I hope we haven't reached the exit of this cave already." Terra said worriedly as she stepped ahead. "We're running out of places we can search...!" Strago nodded and went through the doorway, however, he immediately gasped out, causing Locke and Terra to run in after him.

"What?!" Locke cried, and Strago jumped up and down, pointing to a raised portion of the floor across from them.

"Look! I can't believe it! It's THE STATUES!"

Standing straight up on the raised floor were three glimmering gold statuettes, each one in the shape of a beautiful, shapely woman. Strago began to run across the bridges that stretched over the gaps in

the cave so that he could reached the raised land and the statuettes. Locke widened his eyes and ran after him, nearly bolting ahead of the old man as he squealed.

"TREASURE!"

Terra blinked and crossed her arms over her chest as she slowly followed after the both of them.

"'The' Statues?"

Locke dove down to the base of each statuette and peered carefully, gently brushing his fingers over each base to remove the dirt and dust that had gathered over it.

"Some faint letters are carved on the back of these stone figures..." He stood up and brushed his hands on his pants, wiping off the dirt on his fingers. "Say, Old Man, what else can you tell us about these beauuuuuuuuutiful goddesses?"

"Oh goodness!" Terra cried, rolling her eyes and not noticing as a little head popped in through the doorway and quickly popped back out.

"They quite literally created magic, as we know it." Strago explained, and Locke blinked.

"So they're the goddesses of magic, then?" Locke confirmed, and Strago nodded.

"You could say that."

The small figure appeared back in through the doorway and began to slowly creep towards the Returners.

"I can feel their power...!" Terra cried, looking over them with wonder.

"The Statues are the source of all magic. It's said the Espers made these images, and put them in a very special place. These represent power beyond all comprehension..."

"Our Espers no doubt came here to bask in all this magical power!" Terra determined, closing her eyes a bit. Although she resisted easily, she could still feel the Esper side of her that longed to morph through and bask completely in the warm energy surrounding her feeble human form...energy that a human body had no use for...could not fully appreciate...

"Say, Old Timer!" Locke suddenly chimed, forcing Terra out of her semi-trance. "What happened to the stone goddesses?"

"Must you always refer to my age as my name!?" Strago shrieked, and gave Locke a good whack on the head with his ice rod. "Young people these days...they have no respect!" He cleared his throat

and looked back over at the statues. "Legend has it that they're hidden somewhere beyond the reach of humans. I'd say they're beyond the Sealed Gate..."

"It makes sense." Terra said. "I bet the barrier that protects the Sealed Gate is the work of The Statues..."

"Whew...what a story." Locke commented, rubbing at the back of his head where Strago had struck him.

"If the Espers were attracted to Crescent Island by these statues...then they must be around here somewhere!!!" Terra exclaimed.

"It's worth a look." Locke said, and with that, began to walk back down to the bridges so that he could explore the rest of the room. Strago followed, but Terra remained behind for a moment, leaning down to read at the inscriptions that Locke had been dusting off. There was a small inscription on each statuette:

"The birth of magic...three goddesses were banished here. In time, they began quarreling, which led to all-out war. Those unlucky humans who got in the way were transformed to Espers, and used as living war machines..."

"The goddesses finally realized that they were being laughed at by those who had banished them here. In a rare moment of mutual clarity, they agreed to seal themselves away from the world. With their last ounce of energy they gave the Espers back their own free will, and then transformed themselves...into stone. Their only request was that the Espers keep them sealed away for all eternity."

Terra took a deep breath and slipped over to the middle statuette, having to squint her eyes a little more than before to read the final inscription. It was only two sentences long, and carved in very tiny writing:

"The Espers created these statues as a symbol of their vow to let the goddesses sleep in peace. The Espers have sworn to keep the goddesses' power from being abused."

Chapter Twenty-Nine - The Majestic Imperial General Leo

"Locke! Are you coming?"

"Coming Terra, hold up!"

With that, Locke stood up and began to walk towards Terra and Strago, dusting off his hands as he looked back at the golden statuettes, a gleam of awe in his eyes. Somewhere...there were three life-sized versions of these goddesses, each brimming with unbelievably strong magical powers that could easily destroy the world as they knew it. He shook his head a little and sighed. Just a few months ago, his biggest priority in life was deciding which of his ill-received relics he wanted to sell off so that he could eat. Now it had immediately upgraded to "protecting the Goddesses from Kefka so that the world keeps from collapsing in on itself." Oh, but not only just that...he also had multiple girl issues at the moment.

But little did he know, he would soon also have another large, sticky, purple problem on his hands.

"Lets go through here." Terra said, pointing to the exit just a few yards from them. Strago nodded, and with that, they proceeded on.

"Heh heh heh..."

"CRASH!"

"AHHH!"

Suddenly, from midair, a disgruntled and heavy Ultros fell from the ceiling of the cave that he had been stealthily crawling across (upside down, I might add, which is quite the feat for an octopus) for some time. His plan to quickly and efficiently eliminate the Returners by a surprise attack had been cut short when one of his arms lost it's grip on the ceiling, causing him to tumble down right on top of his shocked targets.

"Ack, get it OFF!" Terra cried, and with a mighty shove, heaved Ultro's squirming form off of herself, Locke, and Strago. Strago sputtered and spat the dirt from his mouth as he climbed to his feet, and Locke glared at Ultros hatefully, rubbing the dirt from his cheeks. Ultros glared back with his ugly, crooked, yellow grin, but moments later, his golden gaze caught sight of something much more pleasing to the eye, the set of three statuettes on the raised land platform. You could practically see the drool glimmering from the corner of his fangs as he looked over the priceless treasure. He suddenly forgot about the Returners, and rubbed his two front tentacles together menacingly.

"G'heh heh heh! These shiny statues are all MINE! These'll get Ziegfried's attention!"

"Who's Ziegfried?" Terra whispered, and Locke shrugged. Strago blinked and stared at the octopus. It was unlike anything he had ever seen in his entire monster-hunting career.

"Oh!" Ultros cried happily, slowly making his way towards them. "They're glowing...They're beautiful!!"

"Hey squid ball!" Locke suddenly barked, putting his hands on his hips. "Don't you ever learn?" Ultros turned back to the thief and laughed, shaking his head.

"Well, they always said I was a slow learner...but I eat FAST!" With that, Ultros suddenly lashed out at Locke with one of his arms, striking the thief with such sudden force that it knocked him to the ground with a loud thump. Locke moaned out and clenched his eyes shut tightly, reaching down to rub his aching back.

"I was just thinking of you!" Ultros exclaimed eagerly. "I have more lives than I do arms!"

"Locke!" Terra cried, and Strago stared at Ultros.

"What IS this thing?" He asked, and Ultros laughed.

"I am Ultros, octopus royalty extraordinaire!" Declared he. "And you should know Old Man, that becoming a Returner has ultimately sealed your fate--to be destroyed by ME!!!" Strago raised his eyebrows and blinked.

"Young man, you are very disrespectful!"

Ultros widened his eyes and nearly fell over at that remark. Terra took the opportunity to draw her sword and come running at the fiend, however, Ultros spotted her and snickered a bit as he raised another arm in her way, causing her to trip and fall to the ground, her sword clattering away to the side.

"Hope I'm not making a nuisance of myself!" Ultros smirked, and began to crawl back to the statuettes. "SO sorry!!!!"

"Aqua Rake!" Strago cried, but was shocked when nothing came of his spell. Ultros laughed louder and shook an arm teasingly.

"Forget it Gramps! I'm in my tri-elemental form now! Your petty magic can do nothing to me! I....ACK!"

With a sudden leap, a small figure jumped from the darkness and hopped onto Ultros' head, a light giggle emerging from it's mouth as it leaped down from the octopus and in front of Strago. Ultros began to let out a string of curses as the figure brushed itself off and waved it's hands in the air.

"Grandpa, I'm here!"

"Relm!!!!" Strago shrieked, beginning to jump up and down in anger. "I told you to stay home!!"

The little girl smiled and pushed her hat further up on her head, reaching in her pocket and revealing a shining paintbrush.

"I just couldn't miss a chance to practice my painting!" She exclaimed, and with that, skipped over to Ultros. "Say sweetie, who are you?" Ultros widened his eyes and snarled.

"How dare you call me 'sweetie'!!!!!! I'm ULTROS!" Locke moaned as he struggled back to his feet and stared at the girl and the octopus hashing it out with each other.

"Relm and Ultros...what are you doing...?"

"Listen, Ulty..." Relm began, and smiled brightly. "Why don't you pose for me?"

"I'm not one of your kiddy friends!" Ultros cried, and grew angrier. "Don't talk to me as if I were! I don't WANT a portrait!" Relm widened her eyes and cast her head down, letting out a small sob.

"Forget it...I don't want to paint it anymore...!" With that, Relm turned away and began to walk towards the edge of the cave floor they were battling on, letting out another sob as she looked down into the damp and dark empty layers of cave beneath her feet. "I'll just jump down here...where I won't be a bother to anyone!" Strago screeched and Terra leapt up, running to the girl's side. She wrapped her arms around Relm and looked deeply into her eyes.

"No! You cannot do that!" Terra cried, but Relm suddenly put on a smile and winked at Terra as she leaned in and whispered something into her ear. Terra blinked and smiled, nodding a little as she pulled away and gently squeezed Relm's shoulder. Locke and Strago looked at each other, and Ultros tapped one of his arms impatiently. Terra walked back over to Ultros and gave him a harsh smack across the face.

"How dare you bother that little girl!" Terra scolded. "I'm not going to forgive you if she hurts herself!" Ultros was suddenly overcome with a look of shame, and his smirk melted from his face.

"Well, whadduya want me to do!?" He stammered, and Locke, finally catching the drift of things, walked to Terra's side.

"Ask her to draw your portrait." Locke suggested. "She might actually make you look pleasant!" Ultros groaned and looked down at the ground. Locke crossed his arms over his chest and glared. "Don't be so heartless!" Ultros sighed and still continued not to say a word.

"............."

"............."

"............."

"............."

"............."

"............."

"Oh, alright.....Uncle Ulty REALLY wants you to do his portrait....!"

Relm giggled and skipped back over to Ultros, pushing Locke and Terra aside as she leaned in and pulled out her paintbrush again. "You're gonna LOVE it!" Strago grumbled and shook his head.

"At any rate, do it back here!"

Relm, Terra, and Locke joined Strago's side once more, and Relm took a few steps ahead of their line, closing her eyes as she concentrated, causing her paintbrush to glow. Terra and Locke gasped as the paintbrush began to glitter in dozens of different colors, and watched as Relm painted a perfect picture of Ultros right in the air in front of them. When the portrait was completed, it had become a mirror image of the octopus. With a low growl, one of the picture's arms suddenly reached out and smacked Ultros hard across the cheek. Ultros cried out and fell back a bit, shaking his head.

"That's incredible!" Terra gasped, and Locke began to stammer.

"W-W-W-Wow...maybe she has some magic in her after all....!"

Strago did not look surprised, but still kept a watchful eye on his grandchild to see what she would do next. Ultros began to sniffle, and rubbed at his eyes.

"How can this be...? I'm truly nothing more than a stupid octopus...!"

With that, he let out a final sob and disappeared in an array of bubbles and smoke.

"Heyyyyyy!" Relm exclaimed, and began jumping up and down in victory, her painting disappearing along with Ultros. "Did ya see me? I was AWESOME! Wouldn't I be more helpful than Gramps!?"

"G-GRAMPS!?" Strago cried. "Young LADY!" Terra laughed a little.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have you along...you are quite powerful, for a little girl!"

"Yeah, I know!" Relm exclaimed, soaking all the praise in like a sponge.

"Ok, ok!" Strago cried. "If you insist..."

"That's better!" Relm cheered, and ran over to her grandfather's side. "Did you really think that I was gonna stay home...?"

"I should of known better..."

"Geeze..." Locke trailed off as he and Terra followed behind Strago and Relm into the next area, which looked empty, but also contained a trap- door-like looking object buried into the ground. He kneeled down to fiddle with it as Strago and Relm wandered about to make sure there were no other exits.

"What?" Terra smiled, and kneeled down next to him.

"I dunno." Locke admitted, and laughed a little. "She's gonna be a handful, that's for sure."

"I know..." Terra sighed dreamily. "Makes me want to..." She trailed off, and Locke looked up at her as he opened the latch of the door, sliding it open.

"Hey, lets go!" Relm suddenly screamed, bolting past Strago and diving down into the trap door. Strago let out a growl and stomped over to the trap door, leaning in to peer down. However, it was far too dark to see anything.

"That little brat!" Strago cried.

"It's ok, we had to go down there anyway...!" Terra tried to comfort him, but was interrupted by a loud scream belonging to the girl.

"Relm!" Locke called, and with that, leapt down after her. The fall wasn't very long, and Locke easily landed on his feet as he peered around in the dim area. He spotted Relm a few feet ahead of him, he also spotted something else, something frightening, with a pair of outspread wings...there were even more creatures behind it, all in hushed silence as they laid their eyes on Locke and Relm. However, looking among the crowd, Locke could see that some of them were strangely familiar...

"Are these...Espers...?" Relm trailed off. The creature in front of her reached out a hand, but Relm screamed and ran away, right into Locke's arms. Terra and Strago appeared moments later, Terra immediately pushing past the others and going up to the creature that had startled Relm.

"They ARE Espers..." She trailed off. "But...I didn't think they would look so..."

"Gramps!" Locke cried, and pushed Relm over to him. "Take Relm and clear out of here!" Strago, for once, didn't argue, and took hold of Relm's hand as they began to walk towards the back of the

area, where a small exit had been erected. However, more Espers suddenly appeared through it, all staring at Strago and Relm as they blocked their path. Relm let out a frightened whimper, and a clear, strangely familiar voice rang out through the caves.

"HALT!"

With that, a pale white Esper emerged from the crowd in front of Terra, one that had a most definite resemblance of the human it once was before it was transformed by the Statues. However, Locke found that he recognized this very Esper from when he and the others had gotten to magically view how Madonna and Maduin first met and fell in love. He was Maduin's youthful friend, the gatekeeper named Yura...!

Yura and Terra stared intensely at each other, and blue auras began to surround each of their bodies, causing Relm to cling tighter onto Strago.

"What are they doing!?" She cried, and Strago shook his head.

"I sense some immense magical power in Terra...it...it...frightens me..."

"Oh Gods, is she going to go ballistic again!?" Locke gasped, but suddenly, the aura faded, and Yura parted his lips to speak once more.

"You're...you're somehow different..." Yura trailed off, his voice saddening. "I sense a familiar power radiating from you..."

"Yes." Terra nodded, and bit down on her lip. "Do you recognize me, Yura...? I am the daughter of Maduin and Madonna...stolen away from your world eighteen years ago..." Yura gasped and leaned in, studying the features of Terra's face.

"You do not lie...you truly are Maduin's daughter! So, you survived the Empire's raid...but your father...and your mother..."

"They are no longer of this world." Terra replied softly. "But the Empire still remains, as strong as ever."

"Are you the Espers of the Sealed Gate?" Strago suddenly cut in, and Yura looked away from Terra to the old man.

"As a rule, we are not allowed to visit to your world. We few had gathered near the gate, and were wondering how we could save the Espers that had been kidnapped. It was just a coincidence that Terra appeared when she did..."

"I...I felt your presence through the gate." Terra admitted.

"We bolted the moment Terra opened the gate. But once in your world, we lost control of our powers. We completely leveled a city...and took some innocent lives..." Terra gasped and tugged on Yura's arm.

"That's what happened to me!" Terra cried. "At one point in time, I lost all control of my powers! I was so frightened..." Yura sighed and reached up, gently running his fingers through the loose strands of hair that had fallen from Terra's ponytail.

"There must be something in your world that allows you to focus your power differently." Strago explained. "You must use caution while in our world..."

"We are deeply sorry for causing you humans such suffering and pain." Yura apologized sadly.

"The past...is history." Locke explained gently, and walked up to Yura and Terra. "However, the Empire seems to want to talk peace with you. Why not come with us?"

"They would forgive us so easily?" Yura questioned, and Locke nodded.

"Terra, lets take Yura and the others to Thamasa and talk to General Leo. Surely, he'll know what to do."

"That's a good idea." Terra nodded. "Will you come Yura? General Leo is one of the kindest men I've met, and I am sure he will be eager to meet you, my father's friend..."

"I will come with you." Yura agreed. "Please, lead the way."

With that, the Espers blocking the exit parted, and Strago, Relm, and Locke began to make their way out of the cave. Just as Terra turned to leave herself, Yura took a hold of her shoulder, letting out a saddened sigh.

"Terra...honestly...it aches my heart to know that Maduin and Madonna cannot see how beautiful you have grown.." Terra looked down and folded her hands together.

"Yura...You know, somewhere, Mother and Father are looking down upon the both of us..."

"Is that so?" Yura blinked. "But how, Terra?" Terra looked up at Yura, and smiled a little.

"Humans here believe in a realm called Heaven." Terra explained. "It is a place where a good person's soul goes when it dies, so that it can live again in paradise among the Gods and watch over the souls it left behind on Earth. I am sure that Maduin and Madonna are there right now, watching."

"Hmm...this is a story that seems familiar, something that I may of once knew but forgot." Yura said, and sighed. "This, among so many other things..."

"I know how you feel." Terra nodded, and gently tugged on Yura's hand. "But please! Lets hurry and get to Thamasa! You'll feel better once we've talked with Leo."

"Yes." Yura confirmed, and turned to the other Espers in the cave. "Let us go to Thamasa! Everyone, please, refrain from using your powers, as we no longer have anything to fear among the humans!"

The cave erupted into a burst of loud cheers and whistles.

**********

"Celes!"

"Hmmm....?" Celes mumbled, turning from the small garden of flowers she had been staring at in front of a house in Thamasa. Leo smiled, and pointed towards the entrance of the town, where Terra, Locke, an elderly man, and a young girl were leading a band of unusual creatures. The townspeople, beyond freaked out, squealed and ran into their homes and shops, locking their doors tightly. In just moments, the town became empty and almost ghost-like. Leo gently patted Celes' head and began to walk towards the others, while Celes stared at the Returners from her safe distance, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest in pure ecstasy.

Terra and Locke were alive! They weren't lost in the fire after all! She couldn't believe her divine luck...

However, Celes also remembered what had happened when she tried to say sorry to Locke on the ship, and felt her heart sink again. At this, she decided to just stay where she was, and not greet them.

"General Leo." Locke began, and Leo smiled happily as he ran up the him.

"Locke...you're back...and alive!"

"Of course!" Locke smirked, not able to help wanting to take a stab at gloating for glory in front of the great General Leo. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"We heard some frightful rumors in town that you and Miss Terra were lost in a fire last night." Leo confessed, and Locke blinked.

"We...? Is Celes here, too...?"

"She's over there." Leo said, and pointed to Celes, who had turned her attention back to the roses at her feet. Locke gulped, and suddenly felt anxious and warm all over. Leo didn't seem to notice as he turned his attentions onto the Espers behind Locke and Terra.

"You have made the Espers realize our desire for peace...?" Leo trailed off, and Yura nodded a bit at this. Leo stepped up to him and offered a hand. Terra looked at Celes and then at Locke, a small smile curling on her lips.

"I am General Leo. May I have your name, please?"

"I am called Yura." Yura sighed and shook his hand. "We have done something inexcusable to your people. And this probably isn't the time or the place to ask for your forgiveness, but..."

"Speak no further!" Leo cried. "It is WE who owe you an apology! We hungered for your power...How close we came to reenacting the War of the Magi!"

"We must put this all behind us!" Yura agreed happily.

As Leo and Yura went into deep conversation, Celes stood up and walked towards Locke and Terra, who had broken away from Leo and the Espers so that they could talk in private. Terra caught eyes with Celes and gave a small nod, turning away from Locke and looking to Strago and Relm, who were squealing excitedly about what was happening. Locke gave Terra a funny look for just walking away from him like that.

"Just imagine, a history-shattering peace treaty, being conducted in our little town as we speak!" Strago exclaimed.

"We're apart of history!" Relm giggled, and Terra smiled with them as she kept her gaze on Locke. Celes stepped up to the group, and remained silent as Locke nervously turned away from her and addressed the Returners.

"I believe our job is finally over! I, for one, could use some peace and quiet...!" He slightly glanced over at Celes, and was shocked to find her gazing at him with softer eyes, and a concerned smile on her lips. Locke turned to her completely, the presence of Terra and the others fading from his senses as his eyes locked on hers. Leo had told them that he and Celes had heard they were dead. Had Celes worried about him?

"Locke..." Celes trailed off, and instinctively, Locke reached out, taking one of her hands in his assuringly. Celes blushed a little as she squeezed his hand and reached up with her free hand, pushing Locke's bandana out of his eyes, resting her fingertips along his hairline and his temple. "....Lets return to Vector." Locke widened his eyes, resting his other hand at her lower back as he continued to keep hold of her hand.

"Celes...I'm sor-" He began, but Celes shook her head, pressing a finger to his lips. Locke stared down at her as she smiled more.

"Please...not another word."

Terra and Strago gave each other knowing looks as they watched the pair silently reconcilliate, in their own little world. Suddenly, Relm squirmed a bit and tugged off her hat, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm too hot, Grandpa!!!!!!!!!!!"

Locke and Celes both blinked and blushed in unison as Relm's outburst broke the moment, realizing that everyone had been staring at them. Celes quickly pulled away from Locke and crossed her arms over her chest, turning away as Locke blushed more and shoved his hands into his pockets, staring down at the ground.

"Kids!" Strago exclaimed, and everyone let out nervous laughter as Relm began to fan herself with the large hat. Even Leo and Yura had a small chuckle, as well as the other Espers. Locke and Celes stole secret gazes at each other, smiling warmly.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently, causing the laughter to cease as four Magitek Armor units thumped and crashed their way into Thamasa, each piloted by an Imperial soldier. Kefka arrived behind them, laughing insanely as the armors proceeded to block each exit out of the town.

"HEE HEE HEE...How about a lil' Magitek mayhem!?"

Leo gasped and pushed past Yura, running up to Kefka.

"Kefka! What ARE you doing?! I thought you were supposed to be in jail..." Kefka looked as if Leo had just said the most absurd thing on Earth, and burst out into more laughter.

"G'ha ha ha! Emperor's orders! I'm to bring the Magicite remains of these Espers to his excellency! Behold! a Magicite mother load!!!" Kefka opened his arms, and all the Espers gasped out in fear, two of them freaking out and turning to flee. But before they could escape, Kefka cast a spell, causing three sparkling stars to strike at the two escaping Espers and Yura, killing them on the spot. Their bodies flickered and disappeared in a burst of light, their remains becoming Magicite crystals that hit the ground.

"Idiots!" Kefka giggled, casting another spell to cause the three Magicites to float up and come to him. Terra gasped and cried out as she watched the Magicite fall into his hands.

"YURA!"

Kefka smirked and began shouting orders to his Magitek pilots.

"I don't care for the appearance of this pitiful little hamlet... So BURN IT!" Relm and Strago gasped, and Leo pointed a finger at Kefka.

"Kefka, NO!"

"SHUT UP!"

With that, Kefka let out a growl of impatience, and parted his hands. An eerie song began to waft through the city, it's high and ear piercing pitch cutting through the heads of Leo and the Returners like a knife. Terra screamed and covered her ears, falling to her knees.

"What is this?!"

"I can't...I can't control...my body..." Strago moaned, collapsing to the ground in a dead faint.

"Grand...pa..." Relm whimpered, falling on top of him.

"Ahhh..." Celes gasped, and with that, fell to the ground as well, sliding her eyes closed. "My body feels...numb..." Moments later, Locke fell too, as well as Leo. Kefka burst out into hysterical laughter as he clung onto his Magicite, watching as his Magitek units began stomping about the town, crashing and burning everything they came into contact with.

"This is rich!" Kefka smiled, and with that, shoved the Magicite shards into his grossly-oversized pockets hanging down from his robes. "To think, the mighty Returners and precious General Leo have finally met their ends, all by means of a Sleep spell! GHA HA HA HA HA!!!" He shook his head and walked over to the fallen bodies, giving each one last dirty glare.

"You!!!!! Celes Chere...you were nothing but a lying, filthy bitch! Thinking you could be anything outside of the Empire...!" Kefka smirked and kneeled down, roughly tugging on a lock of her hair. "If I weren't short on time...I'd make that pretty little head my personal trophy!" With that, Kefka turned and glared down at Locke, spitting at the ground near his head. "How would you like that, you little punk? You're lower than the dirt you're choking on as we speak! Where is your precious King Figaro and Returners now when you need them the most? Lowly bastard!" Looking past Relm and Strago, he stared down at Leo and Terra, shivering slightly as he curled his lips into a sadistic smile.

"You were both fools...No matter how far you ran Terra, you would never be able to escape me! I OWNED your ass, remember? Do you? DO YOU?! Did you think things would change if you revolted against me??? Did you think you would actually win??? Aha...ha...ha..HA HA HA!!! And you! Leo! Ugh, I don't even want to get into what a dumbass YOU were! You'll never know...you'll never know what your true purpose was! But that's alright...that's one little secret I don't mind keeping for myself...hee hee hee...hee...."

Suddenly, Leo let out a slight moan, and opened his eyes, only to see Kefka staring down at him. The sight of the clown's face chilled the very soul within him, making it feel as if he had woken up beneath a blanket of ice. He felt dizzy, and weak all over, but at least he was alive. Not hearing anything Kefka had said previously, Leo immediately climbed to his feet and drew his sword,

shakily getting into combat position. He was willing to do what was necessary, even if it meant killing a fellow Imperial Officer. Kefka smiled to himself and pressed his hands together, sliding his tongue over his painted lips as he raised his gaze to that of the battered general.

Perhaps Leo would find out the truth sooner than he imagined!

"Kefka!" Leo cried, clutching his crystal blade tightly. "Your behavior is dishonorable! I cannot allow this!"

"Ha!" Kefka laughed. "Bring it on, pretty boy..."

With that, Leo let out a full-frontal assault, before Kefka could even lift a finger to cast a spell. Initiating his special attack, Shock, Leo could dash about Kefka in such a blinding speed, that not even the closest beholder could tell the difference between the blur of Leo's figure and his shadow. Laser-pink energy beams emitted from the blade of his sword as he struck over and over, hitting Kefka from every possible angle. It was now made obvious why Leo had always been known as the strongest of the Imperial generals...His strength, not scientifically enhanced like Celes' and Kefka's, was extraordinary, almost inhuman. Finally, however, his stamina finally gave out, and the general stepped a few paces back from Kefka, shuddering as he watched the light in Kefka's eyes burn out, turning them a dull blue before he collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Sheathing his sword, Leo took a deep breath, but suddenly choked when he took another look at Kefka's body. Not a streak of blood...anywhere...

"Ha ha ha ha ha..."

Suddenly, Kefka's body disappeared into thin air. However, Leo could still feel his evil aura floating nearby, feeling as if it would consume his body and possess his senses at any moment. Shivering, Leo looked about him, but only found the still bodies of the Returners at his feet. Despite the reality of the events surrounding him, Leo still felt as if he had entered some sort of twisted trance, a dream that he couldn't escape from by pinching himself. Something just didn't feel right in the air...

"Ah..."

"...Leo..."

" ...always the consummate soldier......"

"Where are you, Kefka?!" Leo cried, quickly losing his cool. "Show yourself!"

"E M P E R O R G E S T A H L ..."

"... I need you here....."

Suddenly, in a soft cloud of foggy smoke, Emperor Gestahl appeared, only a few feet from Leo. Leo gasped and fell to his knees in a respective bow, lowering his head. Was it an illusion? A hallucination? No, it was truly Gestahl! It had to of been! Leo was sure of it!

"My liege!" Leo cried, and Gestahl looked down at him, concern filling his eyes.

"Leo..." Gestahl trailed off, and looked away. "I'm sorry I deceived even you, Leo. My purpose has been to gather Magicite, and grow powerful, while your purpose had been to assist me in gaining the power and time to do so. Please...understand me..." Leo widened his eyes and gasped, jerking his head up and staring at the Emperor unbelievingly. Meanwhile, his insides had seemingly frozen into ice. His mind went numb, and he could barely find the strength to part his lips and reply.

"But...Emperor....!"

"Do not say anything. I understand how you feel. I truly do."

"Uwee hee hee!" Kefka squealed, somewhere in the background. "That's right! What we have to do now is collect the Magicite!" Leo shook his head and stood up, resting a hand over his breast.

"But my liege! What is it that I have been fighting for all this time? Was it not for the greater good, to reshape the world into a greater haven where Magic could be once more at the fingertips of people, where life would be easier? Medical cures would be rediscovered and applied to the sick and dying! Electric appliances would be supplied power from our own fingertips! There would be no more dangerous and hard labor! No more destroying of the environment with our coal-burning machines! The wonders of Magitek technology could be seen through the armors that you, yourself created! You said that the Returners were our enemies...that they wanted to corrupt our people's dreams... But...you lied...to me...to Celes...to everyone...! We were merely pawns!" Suddenly, Gestahl put on a slick smile, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Leo! I'd like you to take a nice, long snooze...! VERY LONG! MWA HA HA HA!" Leo widened his eyes as Gestahl's voice suddenly took on a higher, more familiar tone. In the blink of an eye, Gestahl disappeared, and was replaced by Kefka.

"So!" Kefka giggled, and twirled a loose strand of blonde hair around his finger. "You think you hit me before? That was simply my shadow! And how did you like my Gestahl? I should've been on the stage! Hee hee hee! Well, General...? What did you think?"

Leo bit down on his lip and shook his head slowly, taking a few steps back. What was real, what was fake? He couldn't tell anymore...his mind was drowning in a sea of confusion and illusion. Was he losing it?

Kefka smiled sweetly and took a step towards Leo, sliding a long, slender blade from the depths of his robes as he did so.

"You're such a goody two-shoes!!!"

"Shut up Kefka!" Leo spat hatefully. "I oughtta...!"

"Oooooooh!" Kefka squealed, pretending to be drawn back by the comment. "A threat? You're SUCH a violent little brute!" Kefka shook his head slowly and licked his lips. "I'll tell your "liege" that I had to exterminate a traitor!!!" Before Leo could utter another word, Kefka took a flying leap, landing a kick right at Leo's jaw. The stunned general stumbled and fell to the ground, gasping for breath as Kefka leaned over him, smiling evilly.

"Kefka..." Leo gasped, closing his eyes for a moment. "Please...open your eyes! It doesn't have to be this way..."

"....Oh, but I'm afraid it does."

With a swift motion of his sword, Kefka let out a peal of laughter and plunged the blade into the general's chest, burying it deep within his body as he cackled louder and twisted the sword a bit, shivering in delight as he watched Leo cry out and twitch all over. As blood poured out of the fresh wound and dripped down Leo's clothes, Kefka pulled out the sword and stabbed again, again, again, over and over until blood would spray out of the wounds with each removal of the blade and splash at his cheeks and lips. Laughing manically, Kefka licked at his lips, savoring the salty- sweet taste of Leo's blood and his ultimate victory. Throwing the sword aside, Kefka wiped off his cheeks with his gloved hands and gave Leo's destroyed body a hard kick with his boot, causing it to lifelessly flop over in it's own pool of blood. Kefka turned away from the defeated soldier, and let out a low whistle.

"Hate...Hate...HATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Looking about him, Kefka could see that the Returners were still out cold. However, now was not the time to finish them off. There were other matters to attend to, first.

"Whoa! YES!" Kefka exclaimed to himself, raising his bloodied hands in the air. "I feel some incredible magic power here, today! Wave after wave of pure, magical energy!!!!! HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE!!!!!"

**********

Meanwhile, at the Sealed Gate...

"Hurry!"

"We haven't much time...they've already gotten to Yura!"

"Lets go!"

The Espers that had managed to escape Thamasa alive had flown back frantically to the Sealed Gate, knowing that true danger was upon them as they watched their leader and two friends die. Banging on the doors, they cried out and pleaded for their other friends to join them, so that they may all defeat Kefka together. The seal upon the gate doors was shattered once more, and dozens of Espers began to pour out, all calling out orders to each other as they made their way to Thamasa for battle. Kefka noticed them as soon as they flew over town, laughing delightedly at their determination and sheer energy that their forms emitted. He placed his hands on his hips and glared up at the sky where they were circling over him.

"I'd say you're all charged up, boys and girls...or whatever..." He smirked at his own joke and continued on. "Say, remind me to show you my Magicite collection someday! You might see a few familiar faces!!!" He giggled and placed his hands together. "Now for a little Magicite hocus- pocus...! Lets see what ya got, lil' Espers!"

Kefka released the same sparkling magic light spell as before, which struck two Espers and instantly transformed them into Magicite. It flew into his hands, and the Espers let out a shriek of rage at this action. Kefka shook his head and pointed up into the sky.

"Eh!? You wanna take me on? Fine. Here I am..."

With that, Kefka began unleashing chain after chain of spells, while the Espers began their own offensive attacks. However, none of their spells seemed to effect Kefka what-so-ever. In fact, he only seemed to absorb them and grow more powerful! Sick of playing games, Kefka snorted and destroyed five Espers at once, drawing their Magicite to him and almost immediately after killing another five.

"Oooh! They're warm to the touch! What treasures!"

However, the Espers were not finding it easy to fight back. With none of their spells working, and not being able to get close enough for hand-to-hand combat, their options became severely limited. Finding that they were backing off, Kefka grew even angrier and let out a violent shriek.

"This is ridiculous! I had no idea you were such wimps! Time to put a stop to all this."

With that final comment, Kefka cast his largest spell yet, striking the final seven Espers that remained. Their Magicite remains gathered with their new master, and Kefka let out multiple shrieks of laughter as he shoved them in his robes and began to skip out of town, signaling for his Magitek troops to follow, even though they had not even come close to finishing their dirty work. This, in turn, allowed Thamasa, and the Returners, to be spared.

"Phew..." Kefka panted, wiping his forehead as he proceeded to march out of the town. "I think I have plenty of Magicite for the time being...that is, until I make my way through your precious

Sealed Gate!!" He giggled and pulled out a shimmering Magicite shard, holding it's warmth to his cheek as he closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh.

"I don't believe this....! MWA HA HA HA HA.....!!!"

Chapter Thirty - The Beginning of the End, Atma Weapon

Part I - Alpha

The little town had recovered well from the brutal Empire invasion.

It was only a week after the disaster that had transpired, and the homes that had been burnt or destroyed were nearing completion. Meanwhile, families allowed other families to board with them, and children helped their elders out with the rebuilding the best they could. But while Thamasa as a town could easily pick up from where their lives left off after the Empire had come, it was different for the Returners.

Strago got the Innkeeper to let the Returners stay with him for free until they felt ready to move on, and while they recovered, he also took care of the burying of Leo's body in the eastern town cemetery. He ordered Relm to stay at home, and for once, she obeyed, and left Locke, Terra, and Celes alone.

Terra, completely worn out physically and mentally from everything that had happened, spent most of her time sleeping and flitting from nightmare to nightmare. While sleep had usually been her escape, now it was just as painful as anything else. A constant dream that Terra had was when she first woke up after the attack, and saw Leo's dead body, soaked in his own deep crimson blood and face down. She screamed out and crawled weakly over to the body, shaking her head as she shook him over and over again, begging him to wake up.

"Leo! Leo! Get up, get up! Kefka is gone...he's...gone..." She lowered her head and began to heave a sob, dropping her now dampened hands into the grass. "Leo...you promised...that we would..."

After that, the dream would blur out a bit, although Terra could hear the voices of Locke and the others in the background, questioning about what had happened frantically.

"Somebody call for a doctor!"

"I'll go fetch him, Grandpa!"

"Celes, cast a spell!"

"I...I can't...not for something like this..."

And then Terra would wake up, only to mumble something incoherent and immediately fall back asleep. She didn't have the energy to face the world. Her room was kept dark at all times, and the only people who went in were Locke and Celes, to bring water and food, which, when they came back at the end of the day, would see had not been touched...

Despite knowing Leo more than Terra, Celes was carrying on a lot better. However, she didn't seem to have much to say. She would disappear from the Inn at times during the day, and go to the cemetery, where she would simply walk among the graves, studying each one intently. She had never seen such a big cemetery in a town before, and when she read the graves, she would find some of them to be hundreds of years old.

"Leo...you don't belong here..."

Locke spent most of his time resting and browsing Weapon and Item shops, picking up whatever the party would need for their trip back to Vector, however they would manage to do that. He also was the only one of the Returners that would visit Strago and Relm from time to time. Part of him wished that the elderly man and the girl would ask to join the Returners permanently, but another part of him secretly hoped that for some reason, Shadow would of ended up back at their home. He hadn't been seen ever since he abandoned the group, and Locke was worried for him. Surely he would of come back so that he could join the Returners on the ride back to Albrook...

**********

On the final night that the Returners stayed in Thamasa, Terra had a dream, a dream that differed completely from the constant flashbacks of Kefka's attack and Leo's lifeless body. In it, she imagined herself, all alone, in a dead and empty void. The darkness was thick and overpowering, and she almost felt as if she were going to suffocate. But then slowly, ever so slowly, light began to pour in around her. When she looked to her feet, she could see that she was standing on a baron, cracked, dry piece of land, covered in white pebbles and dead, dried up roots of plants. In the distance, she could hear an ocean, but when she looked about her, she was positive that there was not one there. Instead of the large, rolling waves of sapphire blue water she had seen on her ship ride to Thamasa, there was instead a calm, almost still body of filthy brownish-red water lapping at the eroding shores. There was no sparkle from the reflected sun, and no sign of life anywhere within it.

Suddenly, a twisted, maniacal laugh broke through the silence, echoing off of the dusty red sky. Terra gasped and looked up, coughing softly at the dust that had gotten caught in her throat at the sudden intake of polluted air. Rapidly, on an island not too far ahead of her own, thousands and thousands of pieces of debris, both commercial and natural, were flying and being melded into each other into a massive tower by some invisible force. As the tower grew and grew, Terra began to cough harder and harder, closing her stinging eyes as dirt and dust began to swirl around her frail body in a miniature whirlwind. The laughing got louder, but all of a sudden, stopped.

Terra moaned softly and slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself in the same place as before. Only now, the tower ahead of her was complete, so tall and looming that she could not pinpoint the top of it from the land she was standing on.

"...Momma...!"

Terra blinked and looked down, shocked to see that a little hand had taken her own. It belonged to a short, blonde haired girl, with wide blue eyes and soft pink lips. She clung onto Terra's hand as if it were a life preserver, and gazed up at her lovingly.

"Momma!"

"Momma!"

"Momma!"

Suddenly, a chorus of children's voices began to fill the air along with the girl's, although there were no other children besides her. The ground beneath Terra's feet began to shake and break apart, causing her to cry out and grab onto the little girl's hand, running away before it could collapse underneath them.

"Faster, Momma!"

"There's no where to go!" Terra cried weakly, finding that the further and faster she ran, the closer the breakage got to catching up with them. Suddenly, the scenery changed, and Terra and the girl found themselves on a beach. Terra kneeled down as gasped out for breath near the shore as the brown ocean splashed over her boots, and the little girl kneeled with her, frantically trying to get Terra's attention.

"Look Momma, look in the sky! Is it an angel?"

Terra sighed and looked up to where the girl was pointing, her voice getting caught in her throat as she was about to reply. Not to far away from their location was a tall, cracked cliff hanging off of a rather disfigured hill. Standing at the edge of the cliff was a familiar figure, their hands clasped together with their head down, long hair covering their face. Terra knew who it was, she could of sworn it, but the name wouldn't come to her lips. The figure took a few steps forward and let out a soft cry, pushing back their hair and casting aside a sword that had been hanging from a sheath on their hips.

"No!" Terra cried, leaping to her feet and running towards the cliff. "Don't jump! You can't! It will be ok!"

But it was too late.

The moment the figure took a flying leap off the cliff, a large wave rolled out from the ocean, breaking onto the shore so violently that it struck Terra off her feet and made her fall to the ground. The little girl cried out as the wave pulled her backwards into the ocean, screaming out Terra's name as her head disappeared underneath the water.

"NOOOOO!!!!" Terra screamed, frantically looking back and forth between the drowning girl and the falling figure. "What the...wha...WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

"WHEE HEE HEE HEE! COME! JOIN THE MAGICAL EMPIRE OF KEFKA!"

**********

"Ahhhhhhh!!!" Terra screeched, and with that, shot straight up in bed, cold sweat pouring down her forehead.

"Terra...?" Celes muttered, flipping over in bed as she looked over at her. "Are you awake...?

"Celes!" Terra cried, and in a tangle of sheets and lent bed-clothes (courtesy of Strago), fell out of bed and crawled over to Celes' bedside, gasping for breath. Celes widened her eyes and reached down in a rare moment of affection, pushing the girl's green, damp bangs from out of her eyes.

"Are you ok? Did you have a bad dream?" Celes asked, feeling rather stupid. Of course she had had a bad dream. People didn't just wake up and scream.

"It was...more definitely like a nightmare." Terra said softly, looking about their surroundings. "Oh dear...I must of woken you up...and Locke too."

"Don't worry." Celes said. "I'm alright, and Locke is in another room. You're really been out of it for the past few days..."

"I know." Terra admitted. "I'm sorry, I really am. It's just that...everything happened so fast...I think it all finally took it's toll on me. To think...Yura and Leo were both killed...and we couldn't do anything about it!"

"But it wasn't our fault, either." Celes explained as firmly as she could manage. "There was honestly nothing we could do. Locke knows that, and so does Strago and Relm. Besides...if it wasn't for Leo, we probably wouldn't be here now. I don't know what happened, but...knowing Leo, he gave his life for a noble cause. He wouldn't allow himself to die any other way!"

"...You're right." Terra sniffled, and looked away for a moment. "But still...Leo...he made a promise to me...a promise that he can no longer keep." Celes didn't know what Terra was talking about, but decided that it was not in her place to question her about it.

"He would of kept it, if the circumstances were different." Celes finally said. "Believe me, Terra, I've been with him my entire life. He was a good friend, even better than he was a noble soldier. I miss him just as much as you do...but..."

"But we have to move on." Terra cut in, suddenly remembering the dream.

"Terra?"

"We can't stay here any longer." Terra decided, looking back to her friend. "We have to hurry on, before Kefka can get to the Statues. It's only a matter of time before he breaks through the Sealed Gate and steals them away. If that happens, everything is over for sure. I...I just know." Celes nodded and looked down in her lap.

"You're right. We need to be moving on. We should pay our respects to Leo tomorrow...he was buried in a special, more isolated part of the cemetery, but none of us have actually been there yet. We...we were waiting for you..."

"I'm sorry." Terra apologized again. "It's because of me that we haven't been able to leave. But I promise, tomorrow, I'll be all better. I have to put this behind me. Leo wouldn't want us to mope around...he would want us to fight. We have to stop Kefka..."

"And we will." Celes assured her. "Tomorrow, as soon as we say good- bye to Leo, we'll find a way off Crescent Island. There has to be some sort of ship that is going to come through here sometime."

"And then we'll find the others, and make a plan." Terra nodded, and stood up. "Thank you for waiting for me...you've been taking care of me all this time, haven't you...? The water and food always by my bedside..."

"Somewhat." Celes smiled. "But when we bring you breakfast tomorrow, you'd better eat it all! You don't have an excuse anymore! You're going to make yourself sick."

"At least I drank the water, ok?" Terra made a face, but smiled. "But tomorrow, I'll eat with you guys. When we leave Crescent Island...we're going to leave behind everything that happened also. Not forget it, just leave the burden."

"Nice way of putting it." Celes agreed, and let out a slight yawn. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Oh, right!" Terra laughed a little, crawling back into bed. "Good- night Celes!"

"'Night..."

**********

The next morning, Terra was back to her normal self, much to Locke's surprise. Although he was happy to see that she was well again, when he looked at Celes, she gave him a slight nod indicating that things had been worked out and were not to be brought up again. So, Locke did not mention a word of anything that had occurred the past week, except for when the group finally reunited at Leo's gravesite.

Strago and Relm had joined the group in their good-byes, but did not say anything out of respect and because they had not known the man. Terra, with a fresh bouquet of bellflowers in her hands, placed them at the foot of his gray marble tombstone and stepped back, a slight frown on her face.

"General Leo..." She sighed a little and raised a hand to her heart. "People only seem to want power. Do they really want to be like me? I...I wanted to learn so much more from you...!"

"Arf! Arf!"

At the unusual noise, the team whirled around and spotted Interceptor limping and dragging his way through the thin foliage that hid Leo's grave. The poor dog had cuts all over where chunks of hair had been ripped from his body, and his left back leg looked as if it were about to snap in half underneath his weight. Terra widened her eyes and Celes let out a short gasp as Relm ran up to Interceptor and clutched onto him tightly but gently, only the way a child could.

"Interceptor!" Relm cried. "What happened to your master? Where is Shadow?!" Interceptor let out another whine and lowered his head, as if to say what everyone else had been fearing was the truth regarding Shadow's whereabouts. Locke took a step up to Relm and Interceptor, resting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"We not only lost Leo, but Shadow, too." Locke muttered, and shook his head, clutching the fist that was not resting on Relm's shoulder. "Curse the Empire!" Relm looked up at him and suddenly tore of her cape, kneeling down behind Interceptor and wrapping it tightly around his leg.

"This will have to do." Relm said softly, and slid back.

"No matter what happens, I'll come with you!" Celes cried. Locke nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

"But now I'm worried about how Edgar and the others are doing." Locke said.

"I wish I could say they were safe..." Terra trailed off. Strago stepped away from the grave and looked everyone over.

"If you would like, I would be glad to serve you some tea before you depart." Strago volunteered.

"Sure." Terra said. "Lead the way."

As the group made their way back to Strago's house, Terra thought she heard someone call out her name. She looked behind her, wide eyed, when she saw the large group of people coming towards her.

"Edgar!!!"

"What???" Locke asked, and whirled around, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Sure enough, there was Edgar and the rest of the Returners that had been left behind in Vector, running towards the group at full speed. Terra smiled and met up with Edgar, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she gasped out for breath from running so fast. However, Edgar wasn't smiling. He looked rather disturbed, as did everyone else with him.

"What's wrong?" Terra asked worriedly, and Setzer pushed up ahead of Edgar, cursing under his breath.

"We've been had! The Empire is a liar!" Terra got a look on her face that clearly stated "Oh, isn't that obvious?"

"But thanks to Edgar here, we escaped before anything bad happened..." Cyan trailed off, and Locke grinned.

"Way to go, Edgar!"

"I got to 'know' the gal that brought us tea." Edgar giggled, and winked. "After a while, she just blurted the whole crooked plan!"

"So...you finally hit pay dirt, eh?" Sabin smirked, and Edgar looked shocked.

"Watch your mouth!" Edgar exclaimed, and laughed a little. "There are LADIES present! I was...a perfect gentleman." Edgar looked from Terra to Celes, giving them each a wink. Terra looked down at the ground, and Celes rolled her eyes. However, it was comforting for her to know that nothing had changed while she was away. It felt...strangely good to be back.

"Listen..." Locke trailed off, and Edgar looked up. "General Leo is...dead. Kefka did him in."

"Sir Leo, dead?!" Cyan cried. "What a shame...he was their finest warrior!"

"We need to rethink our plans." Edgar said firmly. "Let's return to the airship."

"Oh, so that's how you managed to come here." Terra smiled, and Strago stepped up, a concerned look on his face.

"May I accompany you?"

"What!?" Edgar asked, and put his hands on his hips. "Who're you???"

"He's one of this town's citizens." Locke explained, and Strago nodded to confirm this.

"He's a descendant of the original Mage Warriors." Terra offered, to help convince the king. "I think he can be a big help." Edgar just blinked and scratched his head. Mage Warriors? What were those? He was lost.

"We must expect the Empire to flex it's new-found muscle soon!" Strago cried, and the others couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"I want to go too!" Relm declared, and jumped into the air.

"I don't think so!" Strago snapped, and Relm snorted, suddenly raising her hand to make a rather rude gesture with her finger. Strago gasped and Sabin burst out laughing.

"Yeah right, kid!"

Relm turned to Sabin and made a dark scowl.

"What? Who is this !@$#ed-up aerobics instructor anyway!?" Sabin turned red but still could not help but laugh.

"This kid's got quite a lip on her!"

Edgar nodded a little, looking Relm up and down.

"Mmmm...yes she does..."

"Aaaaaack!" Relm shrieked, glaring at both of the Figaro brothers now. "I'm gonna paint your portrait!!!"

"Oh, no no no!" Terra cried, and dove on top of Relm.

"Please don't!!"! Locke added desperately, jumping on top of both Terra and Relm. As the three brawled for Relm's paintbrush, the other Returners all looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Strago let out a slight chuckle and shook his head.

"Alright Relm! If you insist..."

"That's better!" Relm sang, and began to skip ahead of the group, all ready to leave town.

"Lets go!" Sabin exclaimed. "Follow that brat!" With that, he took off after the girl.

"SHUT UP!" Relm screamed out from the distance.

"Welcome to the Returners..." Setzer tried to offer his hand, and Strago laughed as he took hold of it in a warm shake. "And welcome back, Celes."

"....Thanks." Celes smiled, and froze when she looked up at Cyan. He stared at her with dark, guilty eyes, and quickly turned away. Celes smirked a little to herself and let out a haughty laugh as she walked off, following Relm. The others soon proceeded to leave also, except for Edgar, who kept peering at Relm's backside confusedly. He just couldn't understand it. Why had Relm been the third woman in a row he had failed to charm?? It was beyond his comprehension!

"What is it with Returner women?" Edgar thought aloud, when suddenly, Relm popped up in front of him, glaring up into his thoughtfully narrowed blue gaze.

"What's wrong, lover-boy?" Relm pestered, and Edgar looked down at her.

"Hey...how old are you?"

Relm blinked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm ten. Why?"

"Oh goodness." Edgar chuckled, and ruffled a bit of Relm's hair. "You're still pretty young! And you're cute, too! Wait until you grow up, and you become a beautiful lady! But until then, keep away from the boys! Tell them King Edgar has already made his proposal! Har har har!" Relm blinked and shook her head.

"I'm coming along too, ya know...so don't try anything funny, you twisted freak of a king." Edgar gulped and pushed his bangs out of his eyes as Relm turned her back to him and made her way back out of town.

"You've grown up entirely too fast as it is!" Edgar muttered to himself, and began to chase after her. "Lighten up, ok?!"

Outside the village, as the Returners were climbing up into Setzer's newly repaired airship, Relm gasped and turned to Strago.

"Grandpa! Oh my Gods, we totally forgot about what to do with Interceptor! We can't take him with us in his condition, but we can't leave him alone either!" Strago sighed and wiped some sweat that was building over his bushy white brows.

"You're right, child...Why don't I run back into Thamasa quickly and see what I can do?"

"Thank you!" Relm exclaimed, and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Strago muttered and shook the girl off of him, turning to climb back down the ladder he had just struggled up to get on board.

"Hurry up!" Setzer called from the upper deck. "We haven't all day!!"

"What happened to Interceptor?" Sabin blinked. "Why isn't Shadow with him...?" Locke and Terra looked at each other, and Terra reached for Sabin's arm to pull him aside for a moment.

"Hold your horses!" Strago bellowed back, and with that, ran back into town. He immediately spotted the dog resting at the steps in front of his home, but along with it was a familiar elderly character.

"Gungho!" Strago exclaimed, and waved. The man, dressed in light red robes, stood up and waved back as he gave Interceptor a slight pat with his other hand.

"Aha! I am Gungho!" He smiled. "The warrior extraordinaire from the town of Thamasa! First time I've been back in a while, and the village looks trashed. What on Earth happened?" Strago blinked and crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for Gungho to realize who he was. Gungho stared at him for a moment and let out a little gasp, bringing his spectacles from his breast pocket and slipping them on over the bridge of his nose.

"Oh! Strago, is that you?! Have you come back to hunt Hidon?" Strago shook his head and sighed sadly. Gungho guffawed and gave Interceptor another pat.

"You'll never change. That's who you are! When you were younger, you hunted Hidon, the legendary monster. But you quit before you found it..."

"I didn't really quit!" Strago protested. "While you have been hunting, Gungho, I have been back here raising little Relm and helping protect our village's secret! Besides, Hidon lives on Ebot's Rock...and that has been submerged underneath the ocean for some time now...I doubt it will ever rise again in our lifetimes." Gungho smirked and shook his head as he let Strago explain himself.

"You could never give me an honest answer...you're a buffoon for giving up!"

"...." Strago sighed again, but decided not to say anymore regarding that subject.

"Listen...I'm going out of town for a while with Relm. You see that dog? It's...uhh...Relm's new pet...and I was wondering if you could maybe..."

"Yeah yeah, I'll take care of him!" Gungho exclaimed. "So what's his name?"

"Interceptor." Strago answered. "His leg is injured, so..."

"Interceptor, eh?" Gungho looked the dog over curiously. "An odd name for a dog...and yet it sounds so familiar!"

"Yeah, funny, isn't it?" Strago asked slowly, and looked away. "At any rate, thanks..."

"Anything for a buffoon like you!" Gungho smirked, and gave a little wave. "See ya whenever you come back."

"All right." Strago said, and with that, turned away to go back to the airship, without even saying good-bye.

Back on the airship, the Returners were desperately trying to piece together the clues they got from the Empire to determine what move they would make next.

"The Empire is after the Sealed Gate!" Setzer cried as he kept his eyes at the steering wheel of the Blackjack. "They're lookin' for some Statues or something."

"WHAT!?" Strago and Relm cried together alarmingly. "OH NO!!!" Terra's face grew pale as she stared at Setzer.

"Are you sure? They said they wanted The Statues!?"

**********

"Oh, those silly Espers!" Gestahl let out a snicker as he and Kefka approached the now unsealed Sealed Gate. It had taken them days to restore their troops and be sure that they could take on any more Esper attacks when they arrived at the Sealed Gate, but now, here they were, moments away from treacherous victory! "To think they opened the gate themselves! The Statues should be just ahead. If we can just get our hands on them, we'll have everything we ever dreamed of!" Kefka burst out laughing and began to shake all over.

"Come quickly!" Gestahl ordered rather sharply, and with that, entered the Sealed Gate. Kefka leapt in surprise and quickly ran after him, laughing louder.

**********

"Ugh..." Terra moaned out and suddenly buried her head in her hands, closing her eyes as a pounding rush of pain ran through her forehead.

"Terra, what's wrong?" Celes asked worriedly, and rested her hand on Terra's rather cold shoulder. Her entire body felt as if the life had been sucked out of it.

"The island..." Terra mumbled, and slowly lifted her head, turning to look over the deck of the airship. Below them was the large island that contained the Sealed Gate, the one that connected to the main continent by means of the huge metal bridge the Empire base was built upon. "The whole world is groaning in pain..."

**********

At that very moment, there came an overpowering rumbling noise from the island down below the airship. Celes looked down with Terra and gasped, the tremors on the island so great that they could easily be detected from the airship. Setzer cried out for everyone to hold on tightly and took a sharp turn away from the island, and just in time, at that. Seconds later, the mass of land had completely lifted from the sea, and was somehow being dragged up into the sky above. Rocks and debris flew out from underneath the landmass as it passed over the airship, pouring down upon the Returners as they cried out and covered themselves for protection. The land lifted higher and higher, and soon it was completely covered and hidden away with the fluffy white clouds that dominated the sky.

On the floating island, Kefka, Gestahl, and three tall, shining statues of beautiful goddesses were set in the dead center, the two men laughing hysterically at what events had just come about. As the Statues gleamed with shining white and blue sparks of magic, everything green and alive that had once been on the island began to shrivel away and crumble underneath it's own dry weight. The dirt and rocks were all that remained, and they began to fuse into disproportioned rises and dips in the land. In other places, holes in the land split open, some so deep that you could fall right through the ground and plunge to your doom. Gestahl's face twisted itself into an even more ugly grin than Kefka could ever manage, and closed his eyes as he began to laugh deeply.

"Fuwa, ha, ha! Now THIS is power! This, and my Magicite... now nothing can stop me!"

**********

The glimmer of the Statues was so bright, that it could be seen on the upper deck of the Blackjack. Terra and Strago narrowed their eyes and stared up at the sky, the others looking to each other nervously. Everything was happening too fast to properly comprehend. Had the end come already?

"Those are..." Terra trailed off, and Strago nodded.

"They are the beginning of all magic...Do you remember, Terra? It is said that they somehow neutralized each other's power, then sealed themselves away... If the three statues should ever be moved out of alignment, the resulting imbalance of power would...rearrange the face of our planet..." Terra gasped, clasping a hand over her heart as her nightmare came screaming back into her thoughts.

"What!?!?!"

Part II- Omega

"There is no time!" Setzer cried, squinting his eyes as he steered the Blackjack ever further into the heavens, causing the rear of the ship to tip back a bit, and to make the Returners go with it. Terra and the others clung to the sides of the ship, the wind blowing so hard in their faces that they could barely breathe. Setzer suddenly ripped past the floating continent and continued flying upwards, hoping that he could get a glimpse of the navigation of the land before they descended. However, what he saw troubled him greatly. While the land mass was hardly shifting as much as it was before, all the new mountains and pits that had been created previously forced whoever was to

travel upon them to stick on selected few narrow paths, and he could immediately tell that there was no way all of the Returners could come after Kefka in those conditions. The Emperor and his clown-prince were settled on a high-risen part of the land in the dead center of the continent, however it would take extreme maneuvering around the entire continent to reach them safely.

"Lets jump onto that thing already!" Locke cried impatiently, and Setzer looked back at him as he shifted the Blackjack's gears into neutral and walked over to his alarmed friend.

"Look down there Locke. See how complicated the path is to Gestahl and Kefka? There is no way we're all gonna be able to navigate through that together. I think only three of us should come along."

"Only three...against Kefka and The Statues...?" Celes trailed off, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm going!" Terra cried. "I'm taking it upon myself to avenge General Leo's death!"

"I need to come as well." Locke said. "What happened in Thamasa was too much for me to just let go."

"And who will be the last?" Setzer questioned, and everyone looked at each other. "I personally feel that I should remain on the ship, in case of an emergency."

Celes was about to open her mouth, but Edgar cut her off and stepped up beside Locke.

"I'll go! Terra, Locke, and I started all of this together...and today we're gonna end it!" Celes raised her eyebrows and turned away, looking down below at the continent.

"Ok, so Terra, Locke, Edgar, you'll be going." Setzer confirmed. "Everyone else will stay here and act as support. Come back right away if you get in trouble!"

"We will!" Terra cried, and took hold of Setzer's hands. "Please Setzer, you take care of everyone here, and take care of the Blackjack!" Setzer chuckled a little and smiled.

"You act as if we won't be seeing each other again Terra..." Terra bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment. Strangely enough, it was exactly how she felt. The numbing feeling was eating away at her heart as she spoke her next words.

"...Of course we will, Setzer...This...it's just like a regular mission."

"Of course." Setzer replied softly, and quickly cleared his throat. "I'll just lower down a bit, and then..."

"AHHHHH!" Relm suddenly screamed, leaping back ten feet. "Look, look!" The Returners all turned towards Relm, and discovered what she was afraid of. Flying towards them at a rapid pace were a whole fleet of metal winged contraptions, all auto-piloted Magitek air force armors.

"Shit! The IAF!" Locke growled.

"The what????" Sabin asked, and Locke looked to him.

"The Imperial Air force."

"They know we're here!" Terra gasped, and shook Setzer's shoulders. "Hurry, before they attack!"

But it was too late. The air force army, consisting of two different model types, Spit Fire and Sky Armor, began their assault on the Blackjack with exploding grenades and gunfire. The whole party proceeded to fight back as Terra, Locke, and Edgar made their way to the back end of the ship, preparing to jump off at a moment's notice.

"Take that, Imperial bitches!!!" Relm screamed, and waved her magical paintbrush. Several copies of the air force's machines were cloned and immediately began attacking their counterparts, giving the Returners the extra firepower they needed. Celes and Strago called upon various water and electricity spells to short-circut the fiends, and the others who were too far at a distance to fight summoned Espers. Terra, Locke, and Edgar anxiously anticipated Setzer's command to jump as he neared the continent slowly and carefully, but alas, they had one more trial before the continent would begrudgingly welcome them.

With everyone too busy fighting off the IAF, no one had noticed the odd combination of pink and purple floating through the sky and overhead the Blackjack's deck. With a loud "OOMPH!" the combo landed on the deck, scaring the living daylights out of Terra, Locke, and Edgar as they whirled around to see what it was. Locke widened his eyes and Edgar slapped his forehead as they both screamed in unison.

"Oh Gods, not YOU again!"

"Oh shut up!!!" Ultros screeched, banging his front arms on the Blackjack's deck. The large pink, almost cotton candy resembling creature behind him broke into a toothy grin and let out a garbled "Rooorrrrrrrraaaarrr!"

"Ultros, did you fly in on that thing!?" Terra cried nervously, eyeing the pink cotton candy ball.

"His name is Chupon!" Ultros defended. "Not 'that thing'! You never had respect for anyone, missy, and now I'm going to assure you that this WILL BE our LAST battle! Trust me!"

"Trust you? That's a laugh!" Terra exclaimed, and folded her hands together, extending her two pointer fingers. "Firaga!"

In a sudden explosion of flame and flare, Ultros cried out and turned a delightful crispy, black color as he fell backwards on his round, bulbous head, squealing in agony at Terra's most powerful Fire spell yet.

"I lose AGAIN!" Ultros screamed. "But don't forget, today I have a friend! CHUPON! Come on down!!" With that, Chupon let out another queer roar and took in a deep breath, sucking in the air so fast and hard that the Returners nearly got sucked in with him. Chupon's pink body expanded to dangerous proportions as Ultros snickered and disappeared in a puff of smoke, like usual. However, the Returners could still hear his voice, although it was fading quickly.

"Mr. Chupon is taciturn, but terrrrrrrrrrrribly powerful! Heh heh heh!"

"Look out, he's gonna blow!" Terra cried, but it was too late. Chupon squinted up his beady black eyes and suddenly let out a massive...

...sneeze.

The force of the mucus-filled air smashed into Terra, Locke, and Edgar like a wild chocobo herd. Before they could do anything to stop themselves, the three Returners stumbled backwards over the rail of the ship, and proceeded to fall...fall...fall...

However, the worst wasn't over. A huge piece of metallic air force craft began to waft towards them, spotting their forms in its radar.

"This is it!" Terra cried, closing her eyes tightly. "This is..."

"KERRRRRRPOWWWW!"

"Ack, I can hear you blowing up, Locke!" Edgar screamed, his eyes also closed.

"I'm alive, you idiot!" Locke snapped, and pointed above them as they continued to plunge down. The air above them was smoky and spark- ridden, and standing at the edge of the deck of the ship was Celes, removing herself from her spell-casting stance and giving a wild wave to Terra, Locke, and Edgar. Locke cupped his hands over his mouth and called out:

"We'll be back soon, Celes! Tell Setzer that we're OK!!!!"

"Here we go!" Edgar called above the noise of the air that was rushing past their falling bodies. "Everyone, grab hands and pray to sweet Lady Luck!"

Terra, in the middle of the two men, grabbed onto Locke and then Edgar's hand, closing her eyes tightly. She was too afraid to look down, although she knew the continent was close. She was positive that the impact of the fall would kill them all! Time ticked by as if the seconds were days,

and the minutes were month-spanned. Just when Terra thought she couldn't take it anymore, the team suddenly crash-landed on top of the floating continent, everyone's breath getting knocked out of them instantly. Terra gasped out and opened her eyes, her vision blurring as she tried her best to calm her senses and properly fixate her gaze on her surroundings. Locke moaned out and rubbed at his butt as he dropped Terra's hand and struggled to stand. Edgar was just lying flat on his back, almost as if he were dead.

"Edgar!" Terra cried, shaking him as she stared down at his face. Edgar quickly opened his eyes and grinned up at Terra, nodding to himself.

"Oh alas, Terra, you've come to profess your undying devotion to me!"

"I think Edgar hit his head harder then we did." Terra said, turning to ignore him.

"That should of hurt more than it did." Locke admitted, still wincing as he slid his hands up from his butt to his bruised lower back. "This continent is already stained in the Goddess' magic. I am positive that we are being...expected."

"...Oh dear..." Terra murmured, as Edgar finally climbed to his feet and slung his arm around Terra's shoulders. Terra squealed and ducked out from underneath his arm, taking a few steps back. "Edgar, please! This is very serious!"

"What can you expect from a leech!?" Locke laughed a little, but suddenly stopped as he heard a small moan emit out from somewhere nearby.

"....What was that...?" Edgar asked nervously, and Terra took a few steps ahead of the group, gasping as she rubbed at her eyes to make sure she was still seeing straight. Lying in a crumpled heap on the dusty ground, nearly camouflaged in it, was Shadow! The black-clad ninja moaned again and slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head. Terra kneeled down beside him and felt around for broken bones. Shadow glared at her and pulled back slightly, more from habit than anything else.

"Shadow!" Terra exclaimed, letting him pull away for now. "Oh my Gods!"

"You...you're alive..." Locke trailed off, a soft happiness laced in his tone. It was almost too good to be true...

"Down with the Empire!" Shadow grunted, slowly pulling himself up to his feet. "Once I outlived my usefulness, they tried to KILL me! Just like General Leo!!"

"You know about Leo..." Terra trailed off, and Shadow nodded a bit.

"I was told you were a goner!" Edgar exclaimed, and glared at Locke. "Nice faulty info there!" Locke turned red as he struggled to explain himself, but Shadow interrupted.

"Is Interceptor ok?"

"Yes, Strago Magus is having a friend in Thamasa dress his wounds and take care of him." Terra explained. "He came to us a few days after Thamasa was attacked..."

"Thank goodness." Shadow sighed. "At least I can let the reaper take me with some sort of peace residing in this dead heart."

"What are you talking about?!" Edgar cried. "You've got to come with us Shadow! Kefka and the others are here! Do you know about The Statues?"

"Of course I do, it's all Kefka talked about when he was too distracted to kill me!" Shadow barked. "Are they here too?!"

"Yes!" Locke replied. "If he...if he even moves them an inch out of alignment..."

"Well, forget about me." Shadow snapped. "It wouldn't be right to have me fight by your side..."

"We cannot just leave you!" Terra declared, and grabbed onto Shadow's hand. "Please, we must hurry! Time is of the essence..."

Shadow, surprisingly, did not protest any further.

With that, the three Returners and one ninja began their dangerous trek across the newly dubbed "Floating Continent". Many times, the paths they took would lead to a dead end or a hill far too rocky and high to climb, so they would have to turn around and try again. To make matters worse, not only had the land of the Floating Continent mutated, but the creatures that once lived on it as well did also, and went rouge as soon as they spotted the Returners, which they saw as prey. It took everything in the Returners power just to fight back and stay alive, only to be bombarded by another herd of creatures in moments. The rocks on the ground were pointy and some almost dagger-like, easily cutting through the bottoms of Terra's cloth boots and Shadow's lightweight footgear. The further the Returners delved on the continent, the more hopeless the situation seemed to become.

After what felt like days (which were really a few hours), the Returners emerged from a small tunnel and found that they had indeed, reached another dead end, despite how well their progress seemed to be until up to this point.

"Damnit!" Edgar cried, and smashed his fist into his hand. "What the hell are we supposed to do now!?" He lowered his head and sighed, nearly letting his emotions get the best of him as he whimpered out a bit. Shadow looked around and blinked, letting his hand drop from his hip as he slowly pointed ahead of the group.

"Edgar. Shut up, and look over there. Quietly."

Edgar blinked and looked up, as well as Terra and Locke, to see what Shadow was pointing at. However, all they saw was the same massive, dirty blockage that they had seen before.

"What...?" Terra whispered, and narrowed her eyes a bit. It was then, that she saw what was truly in front of them.

A massive beast...sitting so quietly and still that it could easily blend into its background. It was a pale taupe color, it's four legs slightly twitching with the massive muscles impacted so tightly underneath it's exterior. It's face was a mass of growths and horns, it's piercing blue eyes in only narrow slits as it exhaled softly, dust and god knows what else pouring from it's nostrils as it did so. Knowing that it was spotted, the beast suddenly flicked it's long and spike-ended tail (nearly 15 feet long!), smashing a large hill of rock and dirt beside it. Terra gasped and leaped up into the air, her body shivering all over as she felt something cold and piercing protrude into her mind...a voice. Apparently the others could hear it too, for she saw them widen their eyes and instinctively cover their ears.

"My name is Atma..."

"...I am pure energy...and as ancient as the cosmos..."

"...Feeble creatures, if you wish to pass..."

"...Then you shall soon find your final resting place...beyond hell, beyond heaven...but in the chaos that lies beneath my very form! The pain you suffer shall be so great...that even through death, your weak little bodies will not escape it! I will have a grasp on your vulnerable, everlasting souls...and thus, everlasting horror!"

Suddenly, Terra felt the cold grip on her mind release itself, as she gasped out, as if suffocating, and stumbled back. Atma let out a slight growl and closed its eyes all of the way, it's form beginning to glow with a soft, pearl-colored light.

"Meteor."

A barrage of flaming comets came flying from the heavens and striking each of the Returners repeatedly, causing everyone to cry out in devastating pain as comets slashed through their armor and clothing, making way for newer comets to burn and tear at their revealed flesh. Finally, the spell ended and Atma closed its eyes again, contemplating on what its next move would be. Terra, Edgar, Locke, and Shadow, now all stunned and paralyzed on the ground, could barely find enough strength to keep breathing and thinking at the same time.

"Ahh...hhh....Cu...rragga..." Terra whimpered, closing her eyes. A soft, yet sparkling rainbow light began to pour all over the fallen party, immediately bringing the revitalization and energy back that

they craved. Terra lowered her head and took in another deep breath, knowing that they would need stronger magic for this battle. Magic that only her Esper form could make.

As Terra transformed, Locke took his turn and cast a Esuna spell, washing away all the searing effects of the Meteor spell from their bodies. Edgar stood up and pulled out his chainsaw, letting out a strained battle- cry as he ran forth and began to slash at the idle Atma. Surprisingly, this seemed to be effective. Atma let out a cry of pain and slashed at the king, desperate to get him away. Finally, it struck home and smashed the chain saw with one massive swipe of its paw, sending it flying across the continent in pieces before it could hit the ground. Edgar gulped and jumped back, leaving a window open for Shadow to throw shuriken darts at a safe distance. Terra, completing her transformation into her Esper alter- ego, narrowed her ruby-red eyes and scowled at the suffering Atma.

"Pitiless creature! Hateful, ancient scorn!"

"Do not be fooled by your own ignorance, Esper...HOLY!"

Terra and the others let out a scream as a blinding light suddenly surrounded their bodies, forcing them to close their eyes tightly as they were blindly struck by flying, glowing white orbs from all directions, the heat of impact in their skin nearly twice that of the Meteor spell. However, Terra's temporary form gave her an advantage against magic that Atma was not aware of, and proceeded to cast a healing spell even as Holy wore on. By the time the spell's effects faded away, Terra cast another Curaga spell, immediately restoring her comrades to full power once more. Glaring at Atma, she cast another spell, draining the monster's vital magic power and transferring it to herself and the others. Atma let out a feeble gasp, it's legs beginning to shake a bit as Edgar, Locke, and Shadow went back to attacking mercilessly. Terra, feeling her transformation already begin to wear off, fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Keep...going...guys! Atma cannot fight back...without...magic.."

Moments later, the battle ended. Locke, striking a final blow on the beast, jumped back as Atma's form began to quiver and then shake violently, fading away in a pale red light as it's screams softly echoed away in the Returners' minds. Terra moaned and finally climbed to her feet, smiling at everyone as she looked around.

"We...we did it! Wow...that's teamwork for you...!"

"Teamwork? Hell yeah!" Locke declared, taking a leap into the air. Shadow sighed a little and Terra turned to him, her smile fading.

"Shadow...?"

"I can feel it...Gestahl and Kefka are right up ahead." Shadow explained. "And...I...I sold my skill to the Empire. I cannot fight by your side."

"No, Shadow, wait!" Terra cried. But in one swift leap and bound, Shadow had disappeared from sight. Terra felt her heart drop a bit as she continued staring out ahead of her, hoping that somehow Shadow would change his mind and come right back.

"Terra..." Locke trailed off, and she turned to face him.

"Let's go...let's get what we came for."

"...Yes." Terra finally nodded, and Edgar smiled.

"Don't worry, Shadow will be back. Besides...as Returners...this is OUR battle."

"You're both right." Terra said, and stared up ahead, where Atma had been resting. A large slope of land that went upward was just ahead, and from it she could see the glimmer of The Statues, as brightly as ever. They weren't too late...!

"KEFKA!!!" Terra screamed, and with that, took off running up the slope of land, her pulse pounding in her ear. As she stumbled over the top, she was shocked to find Kefka dancing about the Statues, struggling to move them but not being very successful. Gestahl was standing by and watching, his lips pressed together as if he weren't quite sure of what he wanted Kefka to do. However, as soon as Kefka spotted Terra, and moments later, Locke and Edgar, he paused in his efforts and put on a slick smile.

"Goodness me, look who's come!!!!"

"Well, well..." Gestahl trailed off, and narrowed his eyes. "If it isn't Celes...welcome back!"

"What!?" Terra, Locke, and Edgar cried in unison. Whirling around, they saw Celes standing a few feet behind them, unmoving as she stared straight past them and into Gestahl's beady eyes. Parts of her uniform was torn and dust-covered, and her hair was blown back from her face in a tangled mess, but she never looked more cold and threatening.

"I came to stop you!" Celes cried, and climbed up to Terra, Locke, and Edgar's sides.

"Celes..." Terra trailed off softly. "Be careful...we're here together..."

"I wanted to come, Terra." Celes muttered, and got a frightening glint in her eye. Terra swallowed her next words and took a few steps back as Celes crossed her arms over her chest, and went back to Gestahl.

"You are all just in time to parish!" Gestahl exclaimed, and gestured towards the three stone goddesses. "Behold! THE STATUES!" He shivered and grinned as he rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Oooh...what power...I'm getting goose bumps!"

"Emperor Gestahl!" Celes ordered, taking a step towards him. "Please! Stop this madness!" In reply to this, Gestahl raised his hands and laughed softly, muttering foreign words under his breath. Moments later, shining blue stars flew down from the sky above and stuck each of the Returners, with the exception of Celes. As soon as the person was touched, they were forced down to their knees, paralyzed and helpless. Celes gasped and whirled around, widening her eyes as she watched Terra, Locke, and Edgar struggle against their new bonds and cry out painfully. Her train of thought about how to help them was suddenly interrupted by Gestahl's laughter, causing Celes to turn back to him.

"Celes...come to me, my pretty! You and Kefka...you were given life to serve me! It is your birthright to rule the world with me!!!" Celes blinked and bit down on her lip, knowing that most of Gestahl's words were only too true.

"Kill the others, and we will overlook your treachery!" Kefka offered sweetly. He laughed and walked over to Gestahl, getting a sword from him. Then, slowly, as if being cautious, Kefka walked up to Celes and held out the shining, slim blade in his hands, grinning. Celes' gaze flickered back and forth between the sword, and Kefka's empty eyes.

A sudden wave of tiredness and blurriness came over her senses, making her realize how badly she just wanted it to all end, and quickly. She was tired. She was sick. She was alone...no matter what Locke told her...no matter what anyone told her. She was a soldier, born in a lab and developed through science to become the perfect Magitek knight. She was not born to befriend anyone, to become a lover, or to simply live. She was made to destroy. No one else in the world was like her...except...Kefka...

...Was she no different from the insane clown she hated so much, who was only inches away from her and providing her the means to quickly end her guilt and pain?

"Take this sword!!!" Kefka demanded, trying to shove it closer to her. "Take care of them! IMMEDIATELY!" Celes let out a slight sigh and reached down, grasping the handle of the sword in her expert hand, and lifting it up and away from Kefka. Kefka nodded and grinned harder as Celes turned, facing her bound friends, sword raised. When her gaze landed on Locke's, she felt a slight shockwave run down her spine.

Celes...oh Celes, what are you doing...? Terra thought to herself, her insides shaking as she watched the blade gleam in the light of the goddesses. Please, please tell me that it won't end this way...I thought...you were one of us!

Was this another trick we were set up for??? Edgar thought, closing his eyes. We were fools...such fools...

"Ce...Celes..." Locke groaned, gathering all of his strength to utter out his words as he stared up into her cold gaze. "...Why...why...are...you...crying...?" Celes gasped and reached up slightly with her

free hand, shocked to find her fingertips damp with the warm tears that had discreetly slid down her cheek.

"Celes, think about it!" Gestahl exclaimed, raising his hands into the air. "Together, we can rule this entire world!" Celes nodded slowly and with that, walked right in front of Locke. Staring down at him with emotionless but damp eyes, she choked on a sob and raised her sword, prepared to bring it down upon his weakened and helpless body. Locke stared up at her with confused eyes, using his last bit of strength to close his eyes and look away as she did what she needed to do. Celes bit down on her lip and choked again when she saw the tears that were trailing down Locke's cheeks, like her own.

...What am I doing...?

...Why am I here?

...This is wrong...wake up...wake up! You are not what Gestahl says, and you are not Kefka. You are Celes Chere. You are a woman, not a machine... You joined the Returners because of...

Celes stared down at Locke and shook her head, crying out so loudly that her voice echoed back to her over and over.

"Power only breeds war...! I wish...I wish that I had never been...born..."

With that, Celes let out another cry and turned away from Locke, closing her eyes, and with all her strength, ran the sword through Kefka's torso. She let out a soft sob and quickly withdrew, opening her eyes and watching through blurred vision as Kefka gasped out and stumbled back, running his hand over his bleeding wound and holding his blood-drenched fingers in front of his face.

"B...Blood...?" Kefka widened his eyes, never seeing his own blood spill from his body before. It was unreal. It wasn't real! He wasn't a mere human! He was a GOD! A GOD! Kefka looked to Celes, his sneer turning into a frightful glare as he dragged his damp hand across his chest to remove the crimson stains from his fingertips.

"You...you vicious BITCH!" Kefka screamed. "GRRRR...ARGGG...I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE YOU! Grrr..." Celes ignored him and abandoned the sword, running over to Terra and the others to see how she could help. Terra looked up at Celes happily as she began to chant a spell.

"Celes...I'm glad...you're on our side."

"Goddesses!" Kefka screeched, and began jumping up and down, despite the wound on his body. "You were born only to fight! I implore you...show me your power!" Instead of that, the Goddesses let out a bolt of lightening, striking at Kefka and making him leap back.

"I command you! Give me your power! Arrrgh! Curses!" The Statues began to glow, and Kefka began to glow too...with anger.

"Listen to me, or you'll regret it! Give me...POWER!"

Gestahl shook his head and walked over to Kefka, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Kefka, stop it! Revive those statues, and you'll destroy the very world we're trying to possess!"

"Shaddup, would you?!"

"Kefka, are you crazy!?" At that comment, Kefka turned and looked at the emperor, the look in his eyes clearly confirming that question.

"Crazy...?! Emperor! Don't disturb me! I'm showing them the meaning of power!" Gestahl made a concerned face, and shook his head.

"I don't think so, friend. Your days are now over." Kefka squealed like a little girl and Gestahl raised his hands. "Now relax...I'm simply going to put you to sleep with the very power you unleashed......" At this, Kefka burst out laughing, and shook his head. Gestahl narrowed his eyes. "What's so funny?" Kefka continued to laugh, this time even louder, causing Gestahl to grow angrier.

"Very well! It's only fitting that you should go to sleep laughing! Firaga!"

However, nothing happened, and Kefka continued his laughter, pretending to look shocked that nothing came of the spell.

"Flare!!!!!"

Kefka put on his surprised face again, and giggled madly.

"Nooo!" Gestahl cried, looking at his hands. "Why isn't my magic working?! Merton!!!!!!!" But alas, the third time was not the charm, and Kefka began to do a little dance as the emperor looked over his fingers confusedly. "Kefka...how...how are you doing this...?" Kefka smirked and gave Gestahl a hard push backwards, laughing as the old man stumbled over his own feet.

"How? Simple! I'm standing within the field of The Statues! Their strong field absorbs all magic sent their way! Or didn't you notice?!" Gestahl widened his eyes, shocked, as Kefka laughed and turned back to his precious goddesses. "And now, Statues! You've shown me a sign! It is time you show this old man your true power!"

"No, Kefka!" Gestahl cried weakly. "You don't know what you're doing..."

"I command you Statues, show me a sign!" Kefka exclaimed. In reply, a bolt of white lightning was shot straight into the ground a few feet in front of him. Kefka grinned and jumped up and down. "INCREDIBLE!" The lightning struck again, and Kefka shook his head. "You're WAY off! Where are you aiming?!" A few moments later, the lightning struck for a third time, much closer to Gestahl, but not close enough.

"There will be no one to worship us..."

"Whoa...a little more to the right!" The lightning struck again. Kefka giggled and waved to Gestahl. "Run, run, or you'll be well done!!!!!" Gestahl gulped and climbed to his feet weakly, preparing to make a run for it past the Returners, who were still paralyzed, despite Celes trying her best to heal them. However, Gestahl made a fatal mistake. As soon as he stood up to run, the lightning stuck him head-on, instantly killing the old man. Kefka let out a cheer as Celes watched on, horrified at what had just happened. Kefka danced over to Gestahl, and let out a delighted squeal.

"YES!!!" He began kicking at the emperor's dead body, but quickly grew bored of that and stared down at him. "Poor old...OH WELL!!!! He was a worthless excuse for an emperor ANYWAY!!!" With that, Kefka took hold of Gestahl's body, effortlessly drop-kicking it over the edge of the cliff that was just behind The Statues. Celes stood up and stared at Kefka, not believing that he just killed the only father figure he had ever known.

"Kefka, you have to snap out of it!"

"Oh Celes, just go to hell already."

To emphasize his reply, Kefka shot at Celes with a quick energy ray courtesy of The Statues, causing her to cry out and roll down a steep slope, the jagged rocks wrecking havoc on her already weakened body. Ignoring Celes' cries, Kefka began to push around the goddesses a bit, this time with the greatest of ease. Locke moaned out and struggled harder as Terra and Edgar racked their brains trying to think of an Esper that could help them escape.

However, Celes wasn't defeated yet. Pulling herself as far back up the slope as she could manage before collapsing on her stomach, Celes blew her hair out of her eyes and looked up at Kefka, shouting:

"Oh, that's really smart, Kefka! Disturb their delicate balance, and they'll go haywire...!" Kefka just ignored her and continued pushing the statues more, until a shrill whistle broke through the scraping sounds of the statues dragging across the ground. Celes looked up and saw a dark figure leap onto the scene, but she was too out of it to easily recognize them.

"WHO ARE YOU!?" Kefka growled, and the figure turned away, spotting Celes and immediately leaping to her side, sweeping her off her feet and bringing her back up to the others. Celes blinked and looked up at the figure's face, her eyes wide.

"Shadow!!!!!!!!"

Shadow nodded and gently set Celes down, dashing over to Kefka and giving him a hard shove between all three statues. Before Kefka could realize what was going on, Shadow had dashed about each statue, pushing them in even further so that they trapped Kefka within them.

"NOOO!" Kefka shrieked, and banged his fists against the statues. "What the hell are you doing?!" The reaction of all the statues shooting their magic sparks at each other caused a slight chain reaction that made several stars fly out at the paralyzed party, freeing them from their binds!

"Thank goodness!" Terra cried, leaping to her feet. "Is everyone ok?"

"I'm good." Locke said, and looked over to Celes. Celes climbed up to her feet and joined his side, not saying a word as she looked up at him.

"You're GOOD alright." Edgar smirked, and Shadow walked over to the group quickly.

"You have to go now!" Shadow cried. "There are people counting on...on your return."

"But Shadow!" Terra protested. "Wait, you..."

Terra became interrupted as the reaction from The Statue's destroyed balance began to take place. The Floating Continent began to shift and shake, tremors similar from before overtaking everything. The ledge that Terra, Locke, Edgar, and Celes were standing on collapsed from underneath them, throwing them down the same slope Celes had collapsed on and onto a new path that had been previously blocked. Shadow remained back by the statues.

"Don't worry about me!" Shadow cried. "Just run! I can't stop this chain reaction...but you'll see me again! Count on it!" Terra stood up and outstretched her hand towards Shadow, who all of a sudden seemed worlds away...

"Shadow!!!! Promise me, that when you come back, you'll stay!"

"....What!??!" Shadow cried. "I can't hear you....!"

"Shadow!!!! PROMISE ME.....!!!"

"Terra!!!" Edgar cried, roughly grabbing her by the hand. "Please, we have to go now!" Terra looked away from Shadow and nodded slightly, letting Edgar lead her away, with Locke and Celes following. Kefka let out a his from his binds, and pointed a finger near the end of the path the Returners were traveling on.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME!"

As the Returners ran, chunks of the continent began to collapse everywhere, causing them to often have to dodge gaping holes and areas that collapsed as soon as they were stepped on. However, they made it to the end of the path without harm, that is, until a creature suddenly burst out of thin air in front of them, cackling madly and almost looking like Kefka.

"Mwa ha ha...you can't run!"

"Get out of here!" Celes screamed, and with that, withdrew her whip from her belt, slashing it across the creature in one swift stroke. It cried out and immediately disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving the Returners in the clear.

"Hurry Setzer, hurry..." Edgar moaned, when suddenly, as if his prayers had been answered, the Blackjack appeared, easily leveling up to leave just the perfect amount of space for the Returners to jump aboard. Setzer looked up at them and waved.

"COME ON!" Setzer screamed. "This place is gonna blow!"

"We gotta wait for Shadow!" Locke screamed back. "Please, just a little longer...."

Precious minutes past.

Locke could feel the ground beneath his feet beginning to tremble, knowing what was coming next. Closing his eyes, he sighed and bit his lip.

"That's it...we have to leave..."

"Without me? You little punk...after I saved your ass." Locke gasped and turned around, laughing a bit as Shadow appeared and winked.

"Lets get out of here! Even though I have more of a chance of getting blown to bits before getting my pay..."

The Returners, and Shadow, all leaped down easily to the deck of the Blackjack. The other Returners rushed on deck to greet them as Setzer hurriedly pulled away from the continent, making a getaway. However, now was not the time for happy reunions. Terra gazed up at the continent above and shivered, not even being able to imagine what would happen next.

"Oh lord...can't we diffuse those statues....?"

"Look at what's happening down there!!!" Mog shrieked from Gau's shoulder. The Returners all ran to the edge of the airship deck, with the exception of Setzer, and cried out. Terra felt as if her heart were about to drop into her stomach as she watched the chaos from The Statues' imbalance unfold before her very eyes.

The sea had begun to boil madly, swallowing up chunks of land that collapsed and broke away from their larger continents. Other continents were merely splitting open, swallowing up mountains and even pools of water before slamming back closed and splitting open again. The sky was also beginning to grow darker at a rapid rate, going from soft blue, darker blue, violet, and was now fading into pitch black. More flaming debris from the Floating Continent rained down from the heavens, crashing onto the Blackjack with full force. Lightning began to crackle and explode in the sky, and high, violent winds began to blow through.

Suddenly, without warning, a huge piece of land from the Floating Continent crashed into the Blackjack, side-swiping it hard before falling back down into the ocean below. The Blackjack began to split and splinter from the impact, shattering into two huge chunks. Relm, Cyan, Locke, Setzer, and Terra were trapped on the right side, while Celes, Strago, Edgar, Sabin, and Shadow were trapped on the left. Mog and Gau were nowhere to be seen. The left side immediately broke off from it's counterpart and began to sink away, Celes screaming out for Locke. Locke called out her name back and leaped from the right side to the left, kneeling down to grab her hands as she slipped over the broken railing. Relm and Sabin were suddenly blown off by a huge gust of wind, followed by Locke and Celes, who fell screaming into the ocean below. Terra and Setzer tried their best to cling on, but were also blown off. The Returners who managed to hold on sank with their respective parts of the ship...crashing into the ocean with a tsunami-like splash as the angry waves closed in around them.

Terra lost consciousness before she even hit the water, her mind blacking out in the middle of a prayer.On that day...the world was changed forever.

Part II: The World of Ruin

Chapter Thirty-One - Seaside Suicide: Celes Chere

The small, white dove was weakly making it's way through the ruby- tainted sky, one of its crippled wings just barely functioning and forcing the bird to fly at a rather awkward angle. There were no more others of it's kind anywhere in sight- The dove flew alone, within the solitary confinement of her struggled breathing and aching muscles. She haphazardly dangled in the air for a few moments longer until a sudden and unexpected spasm of pain ravaged through her body, causing her to let out a small caw of agony and come cascading down in a whirlwind of dirtied feathers onto the tiny island below.

On that island, was a house.

It was small, pathetic, and almost shack-like. The salt-water stained wood was rotting on the sides and dried-out, cracked shingles on the roof were threatening to collapse in at any moment. Several of the hazed and residue streaked windows were cracked and broken. The land surrounding the house was nothing but a wasteland full of death. There were no flowers, no grass, no insects, no animals, no sign of anything alive or green. Everything was stained a monochrome brown color, like the dirtied sea that surrounded the island. The only thing even close to sanctuary on the sea-locked prison was the rather tall cliff that dangled off the edge of the island. It was high enough in the air to escape some of the low residing dirt and dust clouds that took over the island's immediate atmosphere. It also provided a jaded view of the sea surrounding the island...not much of a view, being that it was all stained water and the occasional floating fish carcass, but none the less...the sunset did drench the seascape in an eerie blood red color if you came up to watch it at just the right time.

But the only person in the entire world that knew that geographical 'gem' was one of the two residents on that seemingly lifeless island. He was a man who had aged years in a span of months, his once reddish-brown hair now streaked with gray. His soft blue eyes had become clouded with both deep depression and hints of cataracts that greatly hindered his once keen eyesight. He had to walk, at an agonizingly slow pace to wherever his destination might be, and a year of sleeping on an uneven, knotted hardwood floor had become a daily torture for his failing back and posture. His only pair of clothes had practically become tattered sacks on his thinning frame. No matter what he did, he was never able to maintain a healthy weight since he came upon the island.

His partner on the island, a young woman with shining blonde hair and a deathly pale complexion, spent her days and nights in a shabby bed that was set in the center of the one roomed house, never moving, with the exception of the near silent breaths she inhaled and exhaled, which caused a slight rising and falling of her chest, the only sign the man had that she was still alive. She had been asleep ever since she washed up on the shores of the tiny beach behind the house, but the man treated her with the most consideration and compassion the island's surroundings would allow of him-- It was she who slept in the bed, she who was always fed the best of the day's catches (All fish, although every once in a while, an edible monster would be spotted by the cliffs that could be slain. It was a miracle that the man could even safely feed the woman...), and she who would regularly get

her hair and face washed with the help of the small metal tub the man had found on the beach and the homemade soaps he would create out of monster fat. Every blanket in the house covered her body, to prevent any chill that might try to invade her. The woman, compared to the man, had hardly undergone any physical changes at all despite her drastic environmental change. Her face had thinned a bit, and her lips were chapped from the sea air, but other than that, she looked as if she could wake up at anytime and resume whatever it was she had been doing before she had fallen asleep. Perhaps she might even celebrate her nineteenth birthday that had so quietly slipped past her that past spring.

It was an ordinary summer morning, sometime in June, if the man had been keeping count correctly, when he came in from the beach along with an empty bucket that usually contained fish for breakfast. His face was set in a frown. Had they finally run out of fish? Why couldn't he find any? Setting the bucket down by the wood burning stove, he sighed and rubbed the sweat beads that had formed on his forehead. His heart suddenly skipped in fright when he heard a choking sound come out of the woman's mouth, causing her whole body to shake underneath the covers. Her eyes clenched shut tightly, and her breathing became raspy.

"NO!" He suddenly cried, and dived towards the bed, his hands yanking down the covers to find the woman's hand to feel her pulse. She suddenly choked again, this time causing her to yank her hand away from the man's, and winced. Ever so slowly, her eyes opened, revealing an ice blue, confused gaze, and her fingers clenched in a bit. The man widened his eyes and suddenly broke into a huge grin, one that could rival the brightness of the sun itself.

"Celes...at last!"

Celes blinked and reached up, slowly rubbing her eyes as she looked around the room and back to the man, running her tongue over her dried lips and narrowing her gaze a bit to check if she was seeing things or not.

"....Cid...?"

Cid leapt up in the air, his body temporarily filling with youth and vitality again as he looked over the darling young woman he thought he had lost.

"I can't believe it! You're FINALLY awake!" Celes nodded a little, clearing her throat and sitting up as she reached out to take Cid's hand into her own.

"I...I feel as if I have been sleeping forever..."

"For one year, actually." Cid corrected, causing Celes to gasp out. "I thought you were gone for good." She clutched onto the dried, callused hand within her own, her mind spinning with just the few revelations she had made since her awakening.

She was in an abandoned house.

Cid was with her, looking as if he were a hundred years old.

She had slept for a year, in a coma.

And so quickly, everything was coming back to her...

"A whole year?" Celes finally managed to question, sounding as if she didn't believe it herself. "And you watched over me the whole time?"

"Oh yes." Cid admitted, and put on a weak smile. "And I'm about out of energy!!!" The look on Celes' face told him that he should continue to explain their situation, and with that, he let out a heavy sigh.

"We're on a tiny, deserted island. After the world...crumbled, I awoke to find us here with...a few strangers."

"The...the world..." Celes moaned out and turned, gazing out the window and experiencing the shock of her young life. This was what the once green and vibrant world she had known became after Kefka's wrath on the Floating Continent? It was enough to make her blood run cold and cause her body to shudder. "So...it wasn't a dream..." Suddenly, she straightened up more, and turned back to Cid with an urgent gleam in her eyes. "Oh my Gods...where are my friends???" She bit down on her lip, feeling her heart skip a beat and a deep ache form in her chest.

"...Where's...Locke?"

Cid looked away for a moment, causing Celes' heart to nearly stop.

Oh...surely he is with us! Celes' thoughts reasoned. He held my hand...he held my hand when we fell from the airship! He told me that he wouldn't let anything happen to me! We couldn't of gotten separated, I wouldn't of let him go...

"I don't know where anyone is."

"But...."

"I only know that we're here." Cid continued, and looked back up at her. "Maybe we're the..."

"No!" Celes suddenly cried. "Don't say it..."

"...The only people left alive."

Celes bit down on her lip and ran her fingers through her hair. This was too much, far too much to take in all at once...

"Since that day, the world has continued its slide into ruin. Animals and plants are dying off...the people who were on the island with us passed away from boredom and despair."

"My...my friends..." Celes trailed off, feeling as if she were about to cry. The tears she struggled to hold back began to burn behind her eyelids. "They're probably all gone." Cid reached out, taking Celes' other hand in his and squeezing gently, as if she were made of glass.

"Celes...you are the closest thing to family I have. We...could just live out our lives here...peacefully..."

Celes didn't know what to say. What could she possibly do? They were trapped on a decaying island, lost in a dying world that could expire at any given time. Perhaps the time of cessation was near. Perhaps...this was fate, a fate Celes and the other Returners were foolish enough to attempt to fight. Because of that, they had all lost their lives, and here was the remainder of their once glorious team, wasting away towards her own expiration. In a way...she too, had already died.

But Cid had taken such loving care of me for the past year... Celes thought sadly. He probably put my own health before his. And he is right...we are all the family we have left from our former world. We...we were the ONLY family we had, ever. It is only...appropriate that we should live out our last days together as one...

Celes put on a weak smile, and gazed happily into Cid's clouded eyes.

"I suppose so, Cid...or perhaps I should say, Granddad? May I call you that??" Cid laughed so hard that he nearly began to choke, but he quickly calmed himself so that Celes would not see just how badly his lungs had become.

"Gramps, eh? I'm overwhelmed! All of a sudden, I have a granddaughter! And a beautiful one at that..." He suddenly broke out into a fit of deep coughs that caused Celes to practically leap out of bed and shove Cid into it in her place.

"My long-lost Granddad!" Celes exclaimed, laughing a little as she pulled the covers up over Cid. "Looks like it's my time to take care of you!" Cid did not stop smiling as Celes settled a bit and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hey, are you hungry?"

"I...actually haven't eaten in three days or so." Cid confessed, and Celes turned white. "I haven't had much of an appetite ever since I became ill."

"We can fix that." Celes said self-assuredly. "What would you like? I can cook quite well, you know."

"Well, unless I ask for fish, I won't get anything!" Cid chuckled a little. "I'm afraid that's all there practically is here, my dear. Although I fear that the catches have been sparse lately."

"Very well, I'll go catch some." Celes smiled, and with that, turned to walk out of the house. She felt a bit shaky on her legs, after all, she hadn't of walked for a year, but there was a refreshing surge of strength that now flowed through her body since she had resolved with herself to start her life anew with Cid and make the best out of their terrible situation. It would take some getting used to...but Celes decided, that now, more than ever, she needed to be a soldier, a pillar of strength and hope for the both herself and her Granddad. She hastily placed any disturbing thoughts of her lost friends and of Locke in the back of her mind, and locked them up tightly among the other dark shadows that had graced her life.

Stepping outside and seeing her new environment did not shock Celes as much as it had when she initially glanced at it outside her window. Taking a deep breath and holding her head high in an almost regal air, she ignored her surroundings and made straight for the tiny beach she could spot just a few feet away from the house. The morning tide had formed a tiny pool that was washed over again by fresh waves every few moments, and within that pool was a rather abundant supply of fish. Celes smiled a little and kneeled down, preparing herself for her own little ambush.

"Maybe Cid didn't notice this pool." Celes said out loud to herself, even though she thought that was a rather stupid conclusion to draw. With a quick splash, she suddenly dove forward and snatched up a long, shining, silver fish in her hands, laughing happily as she watched it squirm about in her hands. She was even more excited to notice that this was a breed of fish that did not need cooked before eating, (she remembered from some of her training a long time ago) which would definitely save Cid some hunger pains. However, she did realize that she had not brought a bucket out with her, so she would have to go back in and get one before catching more fish.

Celes ran back in, the fish having given up "the fight", and smiled as she approached Cid's bed. He smiled back and sat up a bit as she presented the fish to him.

"Here you go, Granddad!" Celes exclaimed, genuinely proud of her achievement. She almost felt as if she were a little girl, showing off a drawing or a block tower. "Although, if you'd like, I can cook it."

"Oh, no, don't go through any trouble for me." Cid smiled. "This will be just fine. Why don't you get yourself something, though?"

"Nope, not until you're full!" Celes said. "I know that won't fill you, so I'll be right back with more, ok?"

"All right!" Cid laughed, and fell into another coughing fit, but only after Celes had already ran from the house, bucket in hand for more fishing.

"Ohh...yum..." Cid smiled a bit, chewing some of his fish and swallowing. He coughed out again, and winced, his body suddenly going weak and resulting in his accidently dropping the fish on the

floor. His vision went spotted and white for a few moments, causing him to moan out and fall back against the pillows.

"I can't bear...much more of this..."

"Ooops, looks like you dropped this." Celes' voice suddenly rang out, causing Cid to sit up in surprise. Had he fallen asleep?!

"Oh, uh, yes, sorry Celes!" Cid stammered, trying to gain his senses as Celes presented him with a new fish from her bucket.

"It's ok, I'll just throw this out." Celes said, and set the bucket down, turning to go back out the door. As she tossed the dirtied fish out into the sea (it wasn't a far toss), she heard Cid coughing and wheezing again heavily, and realized he was trying to speak with her.

"Heh...seems like...I may not be long for this new, cruel world..." Celes blinked and froze in her spot, getting that sinking ice feeling in her blood again. All of a sudden, it seemed like, Cid's cracking voice was catching up with his aged appearance. It sounded so quiet and fragile...

"Cid?" Celes asked weakly, turning around slowly and resting her hand on the doorframe, mostly to keep herself from collapsing on her own legs. An overpowering sense of weakness had ravaged through her body, driven on by Cid's chilling words.

"Oh Celes...don't look at me like that." Cid smiled weakly, his eyes half-closed, as if it were a burden to keep them open. Celes opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She cautiously gripped onto the doorframe harder, feeling her brittle nails break against the wood. Suddenly, she felt as if something snapped inside of her.

"My worst nightmare is to think of you alone on this wretched island..." More hacking and wheezing ensued. "But...those others who were here... when they were feeling down, they'd take a leap of faith from the cliffs up north...perked 'em right up! I suppose that is...the only good part about this place though..." He smiled a little. "You might get bored of that quickly..."

Celes felt as if she were about to be sick.

"Granddad." She smiled a little, and feeling as if she were caught up in a daze, walked back over to his bedside and kneeled down to get another fish. He had dropped his new one on the floor once again, the nerves in his fingers seemingly paralyzed. He felt as if he couldn't move a bone in his body, as if every joint were held down with a ten ton weight. As Celes moved, she felt as if her feet were not even touching the ground.

"While I can still talk, I...want to thank you..." Cid choked softly this time, closing his eyes and tilting his head back a bit more on the pillows, the aching weight inside his body suddenly melting away into a soothing, warm sensation.

Celes said nothing as she got another fish out of the bucket and stood up, pushing the newly dropped one aside with her foot for the moment and blowing her untrimmed bangs away from her face. Her mind was still hazed, clouded, confused. Why was he saying stuff like this? It was lunchtime, for heaven's sake.

"Here you go." Celes smiled naively, holding the fish out for Cid. "Don't drop it this time, this one looks really good!"

Cid took a deep, shaking breath, a soft smile set on his lips as he fell deeper back into the pillows.

"Good bye..."

Celes blinked. The feeling suddenly returned to her numb, airy body, and the fish felt cold and slick in her pale hand. She stared down at Cid's still form, shaking her head in confusion.

"Granddad. You have to eat, or else..." She paused. "What's the matter?"

Silence was her reply. Celes blinked again, and this time, the tears that had threatened her before finally spilled over without warning.

"NO! CID! Don't leave me! You...promised you'd STAY HERE WITH ME!"

Celes felt her breathing quicken drastically, and her face flush over in a mixture of anger and shock. Clenching her fist together, she took a deep breath and stomped her foot on the floor.

"Granddad, ANSWER ME! ...Tell me you're just joking..."

Of course, she knew the truth. Closing her eyes and refusing to look upon the scene of Cid's death any longer, Celes turned and fled from the house, amazingly not striking into anything with her eyes tightly shut. While she had no absolute idea of where she was going, her legs seemed to have other ideas. As Celes struggled to open and rub at her tear-drenched eyes, she found herself climbing up the northern cliff at the point of the island. The path below her feet was well worn and dusty, any plants that had attempted to grow crushed and matted in the rocky dirt. Before she knew it, Celes was at the top of the cliff, shivering a bit as she looked at the scenery below. One side of the cliff led back to the land, which due to an unusual shift in elevation, made for a short but still thrilling drop from the cliff. Celes could easily picture someone leaping off the side onto a blanket-trampoline held by a few others below.

The other side of the cliff, however, held for a far more dangerous game. The sea was tossing and churning below, smashing up against the rocky side of the cliff that was covered in barnacles and some green algae. Celes bit down on her lip and stepped back a moment, nearly letting out a scream

as her foot stepped over something and made a sickening little "crunch" noise. Looking down, pale and horrified, she saw that she had crushed the outstretched wing of a seemingly dead dove. However, the small, pathetic cries it made from Celes' assault gave her the sign that it was indeed, still alive, and suffering greatly. Feeling tears fill her eyes again, this time angry ones, Celes haphazardly cast a Curagra spell on the bird and turned her back to it, shivering and choking on her own sobs. While it was the most she could possibly do, she suddenly felt as if she were some sort of monster.

"Probably paralyzed it..." Celes muttered to herself, her voice low and bitter and barely recognizable. "A bird that cannot fly...what good is it if it hasn't got any wings?" A chilling sea breeze rose and blew against her tattered clothes and hair, and while it was not unbearably cold, Celes suddenly felt as if her body had gone numb all over. Strange thoughts began to roll into her mind, like the dark clouds before a large storm.

"If only I had wings...than I could fly off of this wretched, empty hellhole..." She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze focusing back out on the sea. "Everyone's gone...Even Locke, who promised to watch over me..." She smiled a little and held onto herself tighter. "Locke...my very own pair of wings..." Her smile curled further on her lips and she let out a soft laugh. "....Gone...along with this world...so slowly ebbing away..."

Another soft whistle of wind blew through, and in it, Celes swore that she could hear someone calling her name. It started off softly, at first, but the more she concentrated, the better she could make it out.

"Celes..."

"Mmm...Locke...?"

Silence.

Celes closed her eyes and choked on another sob, taking a few steps forward and moaning out as more tears hit her flushed cheeks. Before she could utter another word or change her mind, Celes took a flying leap off the cliff, and began plunging downwards head first towards the raging sea below, her vision blinded in a blur of tears.

She was so tired...so sick and tired...

With a loud 'splash', Celes' idle body crashed into the sea. At that same moment, a slight flutter came from the top of the cliff.

In moments, both sounds ceased.Well everyone, that's it for this chapter! Sorry it took me so long to write, but you know, if I told y'all the reasons why I HAVEN'T been posting, we'd be here forever and you'd practically have another chapter on your hands...one that has nothing to do with FF6. Anyway, thanks for all the

people who have left me reviews, its really encouraging and great ^^. It kinda made me warm and squishy inside. Kinda like when I think about Locke and Sora...

Chapter Thirty-Two - Sparkling Blue Hope: Sabin Rene Figaro

"Mmm...Is... This what it's like...to be dead?" "It's warm...I...I can still hear the ocean..."

A soft smile curled on Celes' lips as a gentle wave washed on shore and spilled over her feet. A white, but rather dirty bird, was fluttering about nearby, hopping back and forth between the small fish tidal pool that had formed days earlier and the white sandy beach in order to cool it's hot little feet. It let out an anxious caw as it looked back over at Celes, who began to stir. First, a soft moan emitted from her lips, followed by the opening of her eyes and a rather abrupt gasp. Seconds later, loud and bitter curses ensued.

"...What...what is THIS!?" Celes shrieked. When she tried to push herself up off her stomach, sharp pains shot through her limbs, warning her to back off. Celes moaned out in reluctant defeat and fell back onto the sand, letting the grains dig into her cheek as punishment for the failing of what was supposed to be her final mission. She felt as if she wanted to cry, but this time, no tears came. Her blood began to boil in anger as her memories came rushing back to her, the realization of her being alive stinging worse than any strike she had ever received back in South Figaro. It made Celes' mind spin that she, of all the people in the world, could fail at an attempt of suicide.

At that moment, the little bird hopped over to Celes, letting out a gentle "cooing" noise as it nuzzled its beak in her hair and picked out a strand of seaweed that had washed in it. Celes let out a scream and swung at the bird the best she can, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth as she struggled to sit up on her rear. When the pain had subsided a bit, she turned to look down at the innocent bird, glaring into its beady eyes.

"YOU!" Celes cried. "Why did you nurse me back to health? Did I ever ask you to help me?!?!?!"

The bird cocked its head a bit, letting out a confused "coo". Celes sucked in her breath and prepared to scream again, when suddenly, her eyes fell on the bird's right wing. It was slightly crooked when compared to the left...as if it might have been broken at one point in time. However, that was not the only thing odd about it. Celes' eyes began to water as she reached down, softly, almost affectionately, brushing her fingers over the dirtied blue bandana that was tied around the wing and the bird's body...to keep the bones from setting improperly. Underneath the bandana was another band of cloth, which was a much paler color and tied tighter. The bird looked at Celes and gently nuzzled its head against her hand, turning its body so that Celes' fingers would run over the knot that kept the bandana on. Reluctantly, Celes untied the blue bandana, and let it fall off the bird into her fingers. She didn't have to use her imagination or make up ridiculous plots in her head. Celes knew exactly what this was....

"A...bandana?" Celes trailed off, feeling it between her fingers and biting down on her lip. "No... It can't be..." Holding it up a bit; Celes stretched it out between her two hands and looked it over.

Locke's bandana...

How often she would catch herself gazing in his direction, her eyes always managing to fall upon the tattered but proud ornament he would always wear...

"Hey you!" Celes suddenly barked at the bird, making it squeal and leap up a bit in surprise. "Where'd you get this? Is the person that healed you still alive? ANSWER ME!"

The bird suddenly raised its left wing, along with its right (but just hardly, with the restraint of the bandage around its wing being so tight), and rose into the air, flying away. Celes cried out in protest and climbed to her feet, clutching the bandana in her hand against her chest and waving her other hand towards the bird, outstretching it as if she planned to grab it. But the bird did not come back, and Celes once again found herself alone, on the beach, with the blood red sun beginning to set over the horizon.

Celes finally managed to turn her attentions away from the sky and back to the bandana, lifting it up slowly and letting out a soft, but happy sniffle as a smile formed on her lips.

"He's alive...Locke is...still alive!" She cried out happily, and felt warm tears roll down her cheeks. Never in her life had she ever felt this relieved and thrilled at the same time, had she cried and smiled in the same instant. Gazing back out into the sunset, Celes could feel her heart filling once again with hope and courage, drowning out all the despair and sadness she had harbored within her. He was still alive...still alive and searching for her! He hadn't forgotten their promise... Celes decided that she needed to find a way off this island right away, to go and search for him as well. She had to find him...

"...Locke..." Celes closed her eyes, and ever so softly, brought the bandana to her lips, kissing it and taking in the soft scent that she immediately recognized as Locke's hair. She felt a faint blush crawl over her face when she realized what she had done, and hesitantly placed the bandana in her breast pocket on her vest.

"Errr..." She blinked, feeling as if she suddenly had an audience and had to explain herself. "Yeah...I have to find Locke...cause the Gods only know what he'll do without his stupid, dirty bandana..."

After a few hours of plotting and planning on the beach, Celes still found it difficult to actually come up with a solution that she believed would help her safely leave the island and find Locke. Surely, he couldn't be too far away, for an injured bird would never be able to fly such a great length, but right now, everything seemed to very far away when all Celes could see surrounding her was water, water, water.

Deciding that she should just head inside for the night, Celes crossed her arms over her chest and made her way back into her 'home'. She felt a slight chill run through her body when she remembered what was waiting for her inside, but she no longer felt as confused and afraid as she had before. She was filled with a solemn sense of duty, one that she regretted she had not respectfully fulfilled previously. Walking inside, Celes made her way to Cid's deathbed and gazed

down at the body before her. He had a soft smile on his lips, and simply looked as if he were sleeping. Celes smiled a little herself, and reached down, gently touching Cid's vest.

"Granddad...I am sorry I did not put you to rest sooner." She whispered, and with that, scooped Cid's surprisingly light body into her arms, along with the sheets on the bed. It was time to prepare his burial at sea. As she was stepping out of the house, she did not notice the envelope that had fallen from Cid's pocket and fluttered to the floor.

**********

It was completely dark when Celes came back into the now empty house, rather fatigued and ready to put everything in her eventful day behind her. But, the darkness of the house quickly got to her, and Celes rushed to the small table against a wall of the house, and quickly cast a Fire spell on the wicks of the candles upon it for some light. With a slight sigh of relief, she started to sit down to collect her thoughts, but something new came to her eye along with the light.

An envelope was sitting on the floor, no more than a few feet in front of her, and on the front, in shaky but still elegant script was written:

Celes Chere

Blinking, Celes quickly bent down and took the envelope, tearing it open and taking out the small note that was stuffed inside.

Dearest Celes:

You should know that as I am writing this, a small part of me is already loathing the day you would find it. I fear two things will come of your reading this: If you have been awake and by my side as a companion on this wretched island for an extended period of time, you will probably find me to be a selfish traitor in our cause to grasp hold of and share happiness, and be displeased with me, which my soul would not be able to bear, even in death. And alas, my second fear for you is partially revealed within that prior phrase... The day you do receive this, I will no longer be with you. I suppose that you will find this to be my will, if I can even rightfully call it that. Now I can only pray that the time you come into possession of this is a proper one, if that is even at all possible.

You must leave this place, and start anew. You are too young to be trapped here; the tender age of nineteen holds so many possibilities for a remarkable woman such as yourself. Celes, you have always reminded me of a beautiful bird, trapped in a confining and filthy cage, longing to break free and sing your song all over the world outside your bars. Alas, you have broken free of the binds in which the Empire held you, but now I fear you have fallen into a new prison, one which not even your thief friend can pick the lock of.

Find the stairs next to the stove...down them lies your road to freedom. You must hurry, for the others are surely waiting for you. When you find them again, embrace every one of them as if you

intend to never let go. These are the people who will shine light in the shadows that have been cast over our world.

Love, Cid

Celes widened her eyes and bit down on her lip, letting the paper flutter to the floor and crossing the room to take a peek behind the stove. Her heart was beating loudly against her chest, and her palms had suddenly become sweaty with nervousness. While she could never harbor any of the hatred for Cid that he had described in his letter, right now she couldn't help but suspect if there was really anything substantial behind his fears. Looking around closely, she spotted two, finger-sized holes in the floor beneath her feet, and kneeled down, sticking two fingers in them quickly and lifting to reveal what was a trap door and a narrow flight of stairs that obviously went underground. Taking a deep breath, Celes slipped down the stairs and reached the bottom of the cold cellar, letting out a soft gasp at what laid before her eyes.

It was a raft.

**********

Early the next morning, Celes awoke, hardly able to sleep from the previous night's discoveries, and immediately found herself running back down the cellar stairs to make sure the raft was still there, and that it was not some delirious dream. Sure enough, Cid's handiwork was still there, and Celes determined right then and there that it would make its maiden voyage within the next few hours. It was time.

While she had a difficult time dragging the raft up the narrow stairs, Celes found that everything after that went rather smoothly. Turning back to the house one last time before she pushed off into the sea, Celes raised a hand slightly, imagining Cid standing in the doorway and waving back to her excitedly.

"Go, go!" He was shouting, a smile beaming across his face.

"Good-bye, Cid!" Celes cried. Checking one last time to make sure she had Locke's bandana, Celes pushed the raft into the sea with one mighty shove, and quickly splashed through the water to slip onto it. The water, once seeming so angry to her back on the cliff, now seemed to be on her side, the waves gently lapping her further and further away from the island with each passing moment. Soon, Celes found the island completely out of her sight, replaced by miles and miles of calm, brown water. While she had no clue where she was heading, she decided there was not much use worrying over it. For once, she would willingly let fate lend a hand. Instead of fretting, the tired soldier curled up into a ball, and before she could count to ten, fell asleep in the breaking of the new dawn.

Hours upon hours later, Celes awoke to the unusual screeching of aerial monsters that she had never heard before. Opening her eyes quickly and looking about, she saw that she was no longer surrounded by the familiar ocean, but rather by both familiar ocean and...LAND. Letting out a slight

cry of delight, Celes scrambled off of the raft and onto the rocky shore, quickly looking around for some sort of hint to where she could be. Her prayers were answered, for while the land around her was hardly recognizable, the town gates she had stumbled upon that were less than a mile away were.

"Good lord, I'm in ALBROOK!" Celes cried, and with that, took off running before she had any encounters with the beasts she could hear soaring above her. When she reached the town gates, she felt as if she might collapse, and surely looked it too. An elderly man, who was standing over an outdoor fire and burning trash (something not normally permitted in town, but Celes would later find out on her own that much had come to pass over the cities of the world that made them no longer care about such petty rules...), came running over to her side, reaching out and taking her arm.

"There there missy, you look a fright!" He cried, and Celes gasped out for breath.

"I...I came running...all the way from the shore..."

"The shore?" The man asked, blinking. "And you didn't have any weapons on ya, eh? So you had to run from the monsters...understandable!"

"Right..." Celes gasped out, nodding to let him go on with her own explanation. The man smiled a little and patted her back.

"Well, dun worry a bit, Albrook doesn't have much to offer you...but what she can, she will!"

"Thank you." Celes said, smiling. "Actually, I was looking for someone; perhaps you've seen them?"

"Who might that be?" The man asked, blinking. "Although chances are I'll know 'em if I've seen 'em...ya meet a lot of people now an' days if you live in a port town...everyone's tryin' to get away from where they live and start anew...of course, no one ever decides to settle here...look at what a mess this place has become." Celes looked behind the old man and felt as if she had truly walked into another world. The once bustling port town was indeed practically deserted now...people were few and far between, and everything that had been polished, or new, or well cared for within the town had gone to hell. Buildings were cracked, some even dangerously tilted. Railings along the upper part of town were severed and broken, and stone stairways either had large chunks ripped out of them or large chunks of something lodged into them. Celes could even see that the docks that led out to the port were broken, some with so many planks missing that they were barred off.

A considerable amount of tattered clothed, probably homeless people were out along the streets, little tents set up by their fires inside the now wilted and dead gardens Albrook once had. Stray dogs were howling for food, and children were crying as their mothers dragged them away from shop windows, lecturing: "You KNOW your father doesn't make as much money anymore..." and other

phrases similar to that. Not so far away from her, Celes could hear two men grumbling about how hard their businesses had been hit lately.

"How ya supposed to make a Gil in this world anymore?"

"I don't know...no one comes to stay at my Inn anymore...and it used to be so famous! The highest recommended on our continent!"

Celes bit down on her lip and wrapped her arms underneath her chest. While she knew that the disaster known as Kefka and the Statues would surely have a negative effect on the world, she had no idea things would get this terrible. Surely, there was more to Albrook's downfall than just the reshaping of the world's surface. Something else was definitely at work...Celes' heart practically froze at the next idea that entered her mind.

Maybe Kefka hadn't of perished in the accident with the Statues...

Worse yet, maybe the Statues had not destroyed each other in the chain reaction...

However, the old man was still waiting for Celes to ask about who she was looking for, and she realized that now was not the time to ponder upon these things.

"His name is Locke Cole. He's fairly tall, oh, and rather thin, and has light brown hair with some blonde in it. He..." Celes trailed off, finding it difficult to remember much that was distinguishing about the thief, causing her to go into a slight panic. Of course, she would normally say he wore a blue bandana, but...

"I'm sorry, I've never seen anyone like that." The man admitted, causing Celes to let out a moan of defeat and look down.

"But!" The man continued, and Celes blinked.

"But?"

"I'll tell you...you are the spittin' image of a man who came here recently. He was the first person I thought of when I saw you!"

"What?" Celes cried. "What do you mean? Who was he?"

"I'm afraid he never gave me his name...but the sparkle in both your guys' blue eyes...It's uncanny. He said he was looking for his friends." Celes smiled excitedly and clasped her hands together. Perhaps it was one of the Returners!

"Is he still here?"

"No, 'fraid not. When he didn't find anything, he left here and headed North to Tzen."

"Then I must go to Tzen!" Celes declared, and the man tried to hold back laughter.

"That's mighty courageous of you missy, but I'm afraid you won't be able to run from the monsters that entire distance."

"Uhh...that's a good point..." Celes moaned and rested her hand on her forehead. "I haven't got any Gil on me...so I can't even buy a suitable sword..."

"Well, I haven't got a sword, but I do have a chocobo, if that will do for now." Celes blinked and widened her eyes.

"Really? You'll let me borrow him?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid only for the journey to Tzen. He'll run back home the moment he is dismounted up there. It's apart of his training, you know, in case he was ever stolen."

"Oh, but that will be plenty for me." Celes smiled, not believing how generous this man was being, especially in a world that looked so bleak and destitute, where no one could seemingly spare anything to another.

"All right then! My son owns the Relic Shop just up there." The man pointed towards a sagging building down the road. "Go up there and tell him that I gave you the ok to use the bird. Her name is Millenia, and if he asks you for a password...it's the same thing as the name."

"Thank you!" Celes cried happily, and with that, took off down the street to the shop. When she burst inside, she saw a scholarly man standing at the counter of the shop, pointing to something in a book in which the man behind the counter, young with a short brown ponytail, was taking a keen interest.

"According to this text, it says: "Eight dragons seal away this awesome beast. Its name is Crusader... Defeat these dragons, and its power will be released!""

"Wow...I wonder if it's the same eight dragons that came about when the world came unzipped? Along with Doom Gaze and Phunbaba...Horrible creatures..."

"E-excuse me." Celes suddenly broke in. The shopkeeper looked up and smiled, and the scholar took the book back to a shelf and began shifting through more.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, and Celes leaned over the counter a bit.

"Your father told me that I could use your chocobo, Millenia, to ride to Tzen."

"Really?" The man smiled, and let out a laugh. "I have no doubt about it, either."

"What do you mean?" Celes asked curiously, narrowing her eyes.

"My father will do anything for a pretty woman." The man laughed again, and Celes turned red. "Meet me at the gate in a few moments...I'll have her all ready for you." With that, the man turned and left through a door behind the counter.

"Hmmph..." Celes snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "And I thought he was being generous...!"

The ride to Tzen was long distance wise, but time was definitely saved by riding the chocobo. Millenia was young, and fast, and healthy, and gave Celes an unbelievably smooth ride over the rocky and dusty plains that had replaced the rolling green hills of the Southern Continent. Well, that is...if it even WAS in the South anymore...

After getting off of Millenia, she let out a gentle "Kya!", and ran away, leaving a small cloud of dust from her swift feet. Celes gave a wave and turned towards the gates of Tzen. She could already tell the going here was as bad as it was in Albrook, perhaps even worse...

However, as soon as Celes climbed the steps to the upper level of town, (they were situated right at the entrance) there rang out a chorus of screams and a bright flash of white light. The ground began to shake so violently that Celes collapsed, crying out with everyone else as she instinctively reached up and covered her head with her hands. Was it an earthquake?!

In a few moments, the flashing light and the shaking subsided, but there were still loud cries and screams coming from the heart of the town. Celes took a deep breath and scrambled down another flight of stairs, gasping out at what was ahead of her.

In a midst of panicking people and screaming children, was a house that was clearly ready to collapse over on itself. There were countless holes in its roof and sides, and one side of it was already sinking into the ground.

"What happened?!" Celes cried, and a woman turned to her, panic in her eyes.

"It was the Light of Judgment!"

"What?"

"Someone must have really pissed Kefka off this time!" Another voice cried, and Celes felt her blood go cold.

Kefka...

"My child is still in that house!!!" Another woman cried, and rubbed her eyes. "Please, won't somebody go in and save him?" Celes felt her heart stop, and before she could stop herself, raised her hand a bit in the air.

"I will!" She suddenly cried, and marched towards the house, when another citizen grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

"What the hell are you, nuts?! There are monsters in there that can turn you into stone with one glare! And you haven't got a weapon to even fend them off!" Celes bit down on her lip and yanked her arm away from the man.

"I've got my own powers!" Celes cried. "Please, let me go! That child will DIE if you don't let me!" At the sound of that, the mother suddenly burst into louder sobs, and Celes ran back over to her.

"Don't worry, I'll get him out!" Celes assured her, when suddenly, there came a high whistle from the house. The woman continued sobbing as Celes turned away from her and looked over at the house, not believing her eyes at what she saw.

At the left end of the house, holding it up with his bare hands to keep it from sinking into the ground, was none other than Sabin! His gaze locked on hers and he slightly nodded his head, gesturing for her to come over to him. Letting out a happy cry, Celes ran over to her comrade and practically threw her arms around him, despite their barely knowing each other back when they did fight together.

"Oh, Sabin!"

"Celes!!!" Sabin exclaimed just as joyfully, obviously not able to hug back. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you come into town, but I knew it was you when I heard you totally telling off that guy!" Celes turned red but couldn't help laughing a bit, pulling away and pointing towards the house.

"Hurry, let's head in!" Celes cried, but Sabin shook his head.

"I can't!" Sabin explained hurriedly. "If I move, this house will collapse, and there will be no way to get the child out. I can't hold this up forever, either...uhhh..."

"All right, I'll go as fast as I am able!" Celes assured, and Sabin shook his head again.

"Wait Celes...take this...in my place!" Celes blinked as Sabin made a slight nod towards a necklace around his neck. It was a simple silver chain, but slipped onto it was a beautiful aquamarine and silver ring. Celes reached up and undid the necklace, fastening it around her own neck and blinking.

"That ring will protect you from any attacks the monsters will attempt to use to turn you into stone." Sabin explained, and Celes nodded, finally understanding.

"Thank you, Sabin! I promise I'll be right back, with the child!"

"Just please, hurry!" He pleaded, and with that, Celes turned and fled from Sabin, throwing open the door of the house and rushing inside.

Chapter Thirty-Three - Love-Heavy Heart: Terra Branford

An overwhelming, warm, dank scent drifted into Celes' senses as soon as she entered the house. If she hadn't of been informed that there were monsters waundering the house, she would of been able to tell by the keen rotten smell they were leaving behind. Celes thought back to what the man outside of the home warned her about- how these creatures could turn her into stone. Back when the world was...normal, there were no such monsters. Just what exactly had happened when the world came undone?

But there was no time to ponder these thoughts, and Celes' reality came crashing down upon her again when she heard the sudden outcry of a child- high pitched and laced with pure terror.

"HOLD ON!" Celes cried, cupping her hands over her mouth. "I'M COMING!"

"HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!"

Celes began to run down the first hall of the home, stopping at every doorway, open or not, to glance within and see if there was any sign of life. Eventually, she came to a flight of stairs and proceeded downward, looking back behind her once more just to make sure she did no overlook anything.

The strange thing was, she had not come across one monster.

"Hello?" Celes called as she stepped into the basement of the house. The smell was even worse down here, and it was difficult to see. The carpeted floor beneath her feet made squishing noises with each step, indicating to her that it was soaked. She didn't dare look down to see just exactly what it was soaked with.

"He..llo?"

Celes blinked and looked up, pushing her hair behind her ears.

"Hello!"

"Help, I'm in here!"

"Alright, just hold on!" Celes cried worriedly, narrowing her eyes a bit so that she could peer through the darkness easier.

"I'm stuck!"

So...that was why he couldn't escape... Celes furrowed her eyebrows and felt her fingers brush over a doorknob. Turning it, the door opened with a 'click', and when she stepped inside, she spotted a small blonde haired boy lying on the floor, one of his legs completely overtaken by a knocked over

bureau. He groaned as Celes stepped in and tried tugging at his leg again, only to fail and let his upper body collapse back onto the floor.

"Please, help me!"

"Don't worry, you're safe now..." Celes trailed off, and ran the rest of the way in, diving to her knees and with one mighty shove, heaved the bureau up and off of the young boy's leg. Moaning out from fatigue, Celes shoved the bureau away and the pair jumped as it crashed through the wall of the room. The boy reached up worriedly, and Celes scooped him into her arms, saying nothing as they dashed out of the room and back up the stairs to the first floor of the home.

By now, their surroundings were starting to shake and quiver. Collapsing roof patches and ceiling fixtures were crashing down from the sky, smashing into glass vases, other furniture, and often into Celes' path. As she darted down the final hallway with the boy slung over her shoulder, Celes cried out as her foot smashed through some of the weakened floorboards. Quickly shifting the boy to her other shoulder, she managed to change their weight and leap from the hole just before it collapsed any further. The boy merely whimpered and sobbed the entire way, while Celes panted out for breath and struggled to take in the filthy air.

Just as the two reached the doorway, there came a sickening hissing sound, and a group of three withering, shiny, deep gray, scorpion-like creatures fell from the ceilings above and into Celes' path. She gasped out and took a step back, still grasping onto the child tightly. They were like nothing she had ever seen in her life! One of the scorpions spat out a green bile-like substance and reared it's tail back, shooting a large stinger out at lightning speed and striking Celes square in the chest. The child screamed out and Celes moaned as she felt the precise point of the stringer drive into her breast, causing her to stumble back and fall onto her rear. The child rolled out of her arms and screamed louder, crawling behind Celes and clinging to her shoulders.

"Get up, Miss, get up!"

"Uhhh..." Celes gritted her teeth together and clenched her fists. She could actually feel the poison within the stinger starting to make it's way through her system at an extraordinary rapid pace. She felt the muscle and blood beneath her flesh grow cold, and numb, and she realized what was happening...

She was turning into stone.

"No...I can't...I can't die here." Celes panted, and remembering the necklace Sabin had entrusted her with, weakly reached up to the chain and yanked it off of her neck. The feeling of the chain ripping open her skin as she pulled quickly faded away into the painful throbbing of the stringer. Her eyelids already feeling heavy, Celes barely managed to bring her hand up and gruesomely ripped out the stinger, feeling her cold blood begin to drip down her front side. Pressing the jewel of the ring contained on the chain to her skin, Celes let her eyes close and prayed for the best. The healing powers of the jewel turned out to be more than just words- soon, a warm, glittering, healing

sensation overtook Celes' body, and the numbness died away. Opening her eyes, she looked across from her to the scorpions, who were trembling at the sight of the gentle light enveloping and healing her body.

"Go to back to the Hell that you came from!" Celes cried, and with that, thrust out her hand, already glowing with the anticipating spell. "BLIZZAGA!"

In a glittering, freezing-cold whirl of snowflakes and deep blue deluge, the scorpions became incased in a solid block of ice together, and at the snap of Celes' fingers, shattered into thousands of particles of nothing. The air of the room once again became damp and hot, and the boy crawled out from behind Celes, staring at her wide eyed. Celes looked over at him, almost afraid he would run away from her, but saw that he had a slight smile set on his lips.

"You...you are amazing."

Celes blushed a bit and shook her head, pulling herself up to her feet and grabbing the child's hand.

"No time! Lets just get out of here!"

With a supreme kick at the door, Celes tossed the child out into the surprised mother's arms and called out to Sabin, who looked as if he were about to keel over at any second.

"Sabin! We're safe!"

"Well it's about damn time!" Sabin squealed, and with that, rolled out from under the house. As Celes ran over to him, the house crashed to the ground and sank deeply within it, more chunks of the roof falling in and outside structures collapsing, sending dust and splinters everywhere. All of the house's solicitors cried out and covered their faces, and Celes and Sabin both buried their heads in their arms on the ground.

A few moments later, the rumbling and crackling from the house ceased, and everyone dared to look up. The woman who's child had been rescued began crying loudly and hugging her son, who was struggling to pull his head out of her cleavage to breathe. The other townspeople began to chatter worriedly, and some began cursing and screaming at the skies.

"We'll get you and your $%#!-ing Light of Judgment someday, Kefka...!!!"

**********

Night had fallen. Being praised as the supreme heroes of Tzen since the world's falling, Celes and Sabin were given the best suite of the town's Inn as thanks. Although it definitely didn't compare to say, Edgar's palace, it was the best the town had, the best any town probably had now...and Celes and Sabin were engrossed in thankfulness.

Sabin had gone out to see if he could find a shop that would sell him tonics to cure Celes' wounds from the house incident, and Celes was undressing, peeling off her filthy leather clothing and setting it aside to clean later. She slipped into a robe that had been given to her by the Inn's manager, and began the painful struggle of brushing out the dirt and dried blood in her hair. The whole time, her mind was swimming with thoughts, about Kefka, the Light of Judgment, the newest monsters, Sabin...

...Locke...

She sighed out and lowered her hand, giving up on her hair for now. Surely, if Sabin was alive and well, he would have plenty of good news to tell her about the others...

Right then, as if on cue, Sabin walked back into the room, his hands full of all sorts of different bottles and patches and wraps. Celes smiled and he smiled back, setting everything down on a table and closing the door behind them. Celes tried to keep her smile on longer, but she just couldn't. She imagined herself cutting the tension in the room with a knife. Before, she had barely spoken to Sabin unless it was necessary, and now he was all she had...Things were just too awkward.

"Celes..." Sabin began, feeling the tension also. However, he felt that it was his job to take the initiative between them. The moment Celes had run up to him when she arrived in Tzen, he had picked up on something that was dramatically different inside of her. The light in her eyes had faded. The determined posture she always carried herself with had somehow slipped out...the way she spoke...it was all different. It was as if something inside of her had died.

"I'm so glad...that you're...alive..." Celes finished for him, and suddenly stood up, throwing her arms around him and pulling him tightly against her. Sabin blinked but immediately hugged her back, slipping his strong arms around her tightly and rocking her, laughing a bit.

"But of course! Did you think a minor thing like the end of the world was gonna do me in?" Celes sniffled, and Sabin's smile faded a bit, making him pull back and look down at her.

"What happened, Celes?"

With that, Celes told Sabin everything, from the island, to Cid's death, to her near suicide, and the realization of hope the little bird brought her from the mainland. While explaining about her escape from the island, Celes pulled Locke's bandana out of her pocket, and handed it to him. Sabin took it and looked it over carefully, nodding with wide eyes.

"You're right, this is Locke's!"

"I know it is!" Celes exclaimed, and then turned somber again.

"I thought everyone was gone. I had given up all hope...But fortunately, I was wrong!" Celes smiled some. "Now I know we're all alive...and we're going to need to find everyone! And then..."

"I know, I know...we smash Kefka, and deliver peace unto the world..."

"But of course." Celes winked.

"But not until after we fix those wounds." Sabin said in a most fatherly way. "We can't do much if our Magitek Knight is down for the count!" He turned to get the tonics, and Celes sat back down again, resting her chin on her hands.

"...I'm not a Magitek Knight anymore, I think."

"What?" Sabin asked, mixing the medicines and not being able to turn to look at her. "Did you lose your magic?"

"No, it's not like that." Celes said. She closed her eyes. "Physically, I am the same. But...I don't know. It's like, when I woke up on that island, I left something behind. I think it might of been the soldier in me." Sabin turned and blinked, reaching down and moving Celes' hair out of the way so that he could rest a tonic-soaked cloth around her neck.

"It's hard to explain..." Celes trailed off. Her fingers gently clutched Locke's bandana. "I..."

"Maybe it's because you're not going on this journey to wage war, like last time." Sabin suggested gently. "Maybe it is because you are going as yourself, a woman looking for her companions."

"...I think that's it." Celes nodded, and looked up at Sabin. "But...I'd rather not think of you as my companion." Sabin pulled back a little, but Celes smiled.

"I'd much rather you be my friend."

Sabin merely smiled back, and nodded. It was what he wanted too.

**********

"So what are we going to do next?"

Celes and Sabin were standing outside of the gates of Tzen that next morning, fully recovered and revitalized. Sabin was fastening on a claw, and Celes was tying Locke's bandana around her forehead. She couldn't help but shiver when his gentle scent hit her senses.

"I've been looking everywhere on this continent since...the incident." Sabin explained. "Well, everywhere meaning 'as far as I could go alone'. It's very difficult to travel by yourself these days, and chocobos are a rare, rare thing. I'm sure nearly all of them got wiped out...I only see one every blue moon, and they are domesticated."

"I'm sure." Celes agreed. "And there has been no sign of anyone?"

"No." Sabin sighed. "The only place I have not been to on this continent is Mobliz."

"Why?" Celes blinked.

"Because...first of all, it is exhaustingly far away...it's totally cut off from the rest of uh...'civilization'. Second of all, I don't think it actually exists anymore. The city supposedly sank into nothing when Kefka struck it with..."

"The Light of Judgment!" Celes hissed. "Dirty son of a bitch, playing God...!"

"I know, I know." Sabin said gently, reaching up and pushing his spiky hair away from his forehead. "Anyway, all I know now is that about once a month, a ship comes to Nikeah and docks for a few days to pick up cargo, and then travels back to South Figaro, which is on a continent across from here."

"Oh?"

"It takes passengers too. The price is kinda steep, but that's only because inflation has been kicking in like crazy...with all the people who died, their family and friends have come upon tremendous amounts of money and have been spending to try to build up what they lost..."

"I see..." Celes nodded, and put a finger to her chin in thought. "So, maybe we should just cross over to South Figaro then?"

"If we are going to, we would have to leave now." Sabin explained. "The ship for this month will be leaving in under two days, I'm sure." He sighed and kicked some dust up from the ground. "It seems like it's nearly impossible to keep time anymore..."

"Sabin..." Celes trailed off, and put her hand on his shoulder. "Come on, we both have to cheer up and plow forward. We shared our tears and fears last night...we should try to put that all behind us. If anything, we've got each other now, and that's twice more than what we had yesterday." Sabin looked up at her and nodded, smiling. She was truly overly wise for someone her delicate age. Her battle armor had worn away to nothing, but the real Celes was becoming exposed, and it was a persona more stunning and aweing than that of the Magitek Knight she once was. He could feel it.

"Lets go...to South Figaro!"

The two began their trip to Nikeah on foot, and the hot sun and even hotter ground beneath their feet became overbearing in just a matter of hours. Nikeah was still a long ways off, and with no more defined roads or even signs to give them direction, the duo found that they were having a rather difficult time. Not to mention, they were both starving, and had a total of about 250 GP between them.

"Look at that..." Celes trailed off, and pointed up a little ways ahead in the horizon. There, staggering against the red-brown backdrop of the sky, was a huge, gray-white tower, crooked and surrounded near the top with swirling smoke and steam.

"Kefka's Tower." Sabin replied dully. "That's where he has been, ever since."

"And I assume no one can get in."

"Nothing that doesn't have the means to scale the top of the tower." Sabin said. "I heard a rumor that there are no exits or entrances except for at the very top, and that it has actually never been opened. No one has actually seen Kefka set foot outside his fortress, but we all know he's there. As you can tell, he likes to remind the people often."

"I can't believe he survived..." Celes pressed her lips together. "Ugh...but then again, I can't believe I did either...there must be something else behind all this."

"Mmm?" Sabin asked, and Celes shook her head.

"Just talking to myself."

The morning dragged into afternoon, but the further the Returners went, the more worried Sabin became. He was starting to become convinced that they were lost.

And like usual, Sabin was right.

A few hours later, instead of coming upon the bustling port town of Nikeah, the two felt their feet start to squish into the ground a bit. Looking down, they saw that the ground here was becoming soaked and was blessed with some greenery, but not much. Anything else that was around was drowning under large, trapped pools of scattered river waters. When Celes looked further ahead, she could see collapsed buildings and homes, their roofs brushing the top of the ground, and the rest of them nowhere to be seen.

"Do you think....that this is..." Celes stopped, and Sabin looked up. A slight barking noise could be heard. A few moments later, two black labador puppies ran up to Sabin and Celes, barking and jumping like wild. A sharp whistle cut through the dead air, and when Celes and Sabin looked up, they just barely managed to spot a corn silk ponytail bounce away behind more rubble. A few moments later, the labador puppies followed after it, still barking and yipping.

"Who was that?!" Sabin asked worriedly.

"Only one way to find out." Celes said, and with that, splashed through some waters and marched ahead.

Turning around the corner where the ponytail disappeared, Celes saw nothing except what she recognized to be the only established post office building in the world, looking ready to cave in on itself. The outside wood was either rotting or already gone, and there was no door. The sign hanging overhead the doorway was half missing, and the posts that held carrier pigeons were either decapitated or beaten into the ground. Celes knew they were definately in Mobliz now, but...who could be there with them? Sabin caught up with Celes, and she looked at him, quitedly nodding towards the post office. Sabin nodded, and together, they snuck up to the doorway, and peeked inside. Nothing was within, except for a few broken crates and scattered, dirtied envelopes and unmailed letters. A tired- looking bookcase was set off in a corner, its shelves empty.

"No one is here." Celes frowned, and stepped inside, nearly choking on the damp air within.

"Or so they want us to think." Sabin grinned, and walked further in, immediately walking towards the bookshelf. Celes blinked, and Sabin put a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to come forward. Looking over, Celes smiled, seeing a little labordor puppy squeeze behind the shelf and disappear. Sabin, easily pushing the shelf further out of the way, revealed a hidden doorway. Celes, going first, felt a strong set of stone steps beneath her feet, and began to descend them, finding that the closer she got to the bottom, the cooler it became, and yet, the more light. When she reached the bottom, with Sabin behind her, she found that she was in a lighted underground room, with a doorway ahead of her, and some barrels and buckets with water set at her feet. At that moment, the doorway ahead of her opened, and the corn silk ponytail came out, wide eyed and pointing to Celes like she was the plague.

"AHH! INTRUDERS!"

"Oh no, is it Phunbaba?!"

"HEY!"

Right then, a blonde boy came up beside the girl, looking to be her older brother (by maybe a year or so), and put his hands on his hips, glaring at Celes and the sheepish Sabin.

"You're gonna have to fight your way in here, chumps!"

"What?" Celes blinked, and crossed her arms over her chest. "I most certainly will not fight a chi-AHHH!" Right then, Celes got a swift kick in the knee by the boy, who danced about gleefully, making the girl giggle.

"We're not going to be fighting." Sabin said calmly, stepping up and kneeling to the boy's level. The boy pulled back and held up his fists, his eyes now more frightened than cocky now.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll..."

"Wait!"

The door opened again, and a figure with long, pale white legs stepped in. Her feet were bare, and her skin was streaked with dirt. Looking up, Celes widened her eyes and brought her hand to her mouth.

"I..."

"Celes." The figure said softly, walking over to her and reaching up, suddenly feeling all over her face and hair, her gentle figures brushing over with a most delicate air of grace. The two children looked at each other and backed off into the doorway, peeking out just incase something exciting happened. Sabin stood up as well, his hands on his hips and his head slightly turned to make sure he was seeing things correctly. Celes bit down on her lip and felt her eyes sting a bit. She blinked them to assure they kept dry, and finally managed to part her lips to speak.

"Terra...is...is that you?"

Chapter Thirty-Four - Thief of Hearts: Edgar Roni Figaro

"Yes." Terra breathed softly, gazing up into Celes' eyes. The half- Esper wasn't crying, wasn't ecstatic, wasn't anything. The slight glimmer that used to appear in her eyes had finally been snuffed out. Celes knew this, because it was like looking into her own eyes through a mirror. The little girl outside the door stepped forward, staring up at Terra wondrously.

"Mama, are these your friends?"

"Mama!" Celes gasped, and Sabin let out a surprised choking sound. At this, Terra smiled and gently stroked the girl's hair, but not saying anything to her. Her eyes didn't leave Celes'.

"I'm so glad to see that you're safe! I've missed you two!"

"Well...missed isn't really a strong enough word." Sabin laughed nervously, and Celes took Terra's hand.

"Terra, we must hurry on." Celes found herself bursting out. "Unless we stop Kefka, all is lost! We've wasted far too much time idling!" Terra looked at Sabin and Celes sadly, pulling her hand away.

"I..."

"Terra." Sabin blinked. "What's the matter? Don't you want to finish this?" Terra sighed and leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms underneath her breasts and biting down on her chapped lip.

"I...um...that is...well...I can't seem to fight anymore."

Celes and Sabin stared at Terra dumbly, but their reactions, like usual with anyone else's, did not phase her. She continued talking in that soft monotone, her eyes shifted towards the floor.

"The very day the world...fell..." Terra bit down harder, trying to fight back the anguish of the memories. "...I remember it so clearly. I awoke on the beach here, nearby Mobliz, rescued by a young lady who claimed I fell from the sky. The effects of The Statues' power fusion were still raging all around me. The girl pulled me to my feet and we ran to escape into town, but chaos had erupted before we even made it there. It seemed like only moments later that a bright, white, blinding light ripped through the sky, and after that...I swooned." She looked up at the two Returners. "I later learned that the light was called "The Light of Judgment", turned onto the town by Kefka himself. Nearly all of the adults perished trying to save their children. Two years later, the rest have died off, and some disappeared in the desert wasteland trying to find help. The moment I arrived, I felt...needed." She stopped and pushed her hair back. Suddenly, the door flew open again, and a tall, teenaged lad burst in, angry, and his brown, uncut hair flopped in his eyes.

"You can't take away Terra!" He barked. Celes raised her eyebrows. He looked strong, stronger than Terra even, but still not as strong as herself. She wasn't intimidated. Behind him, a young girl stepped in; her dull blonde hair pulled up in a messy curly ponytail. She looked tired, with circles under her eyes, and her hands were clasped over a bulging stomach underneath her pink nightgown. Celes bit down on her lip. She was extremely pregnant...but she barely looked sixteen. Sabin widened his eyes.

"Katarin?"

She looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"Oh, you're the one who came to our village two years ago, looking for the underwater helmet...I could never forget you! Oh, how ironic that we have met again! As you can see, I'm now expecting with my husband, Duane." She gave Duane a slightly dirty look and looked to Celes. "Please excuse him. It's just that if Terra goes, she takes with her the very spirit of our survival...She has been our mother since the horrible accident that sank this town. The children...and myself...we would wilt without her."

"I don't know why these kids need me... But they've made me feel things I've never felt before. The moment I sensed this, I lost my will to fight." Terra sighed. "I can honestly say I don't know what's going on inside of me... And the more I try to understand it, the less inclined I am to raise my sword..." Suddenly, the ground shook immensely, and a child gasped, clinging to Katarin's skirt.

"Phunbaba's coming!!!!!!!!"

"Phun-what?" Sabin blinked, and Terra looked up nervously towards the stairs that led to the surface. More pounding could be heard, causing the ground to shake even more violently.

"Phunbaba is an ancient ogre that was released when the world came undone...He attacks so often that we must all stay in hiding underground...it is why we no longer live on the surface..." Terra suddenly started to climb the stairs. "Everyone go to their stations and hide until I come back!"

"Terra, wait!" Katarin cried, and looked to Celes and Sabin with a desperate look in her eyes. "Every time Phunbaba comes, Terra tries to scare him away, and always comes back covered in wounds! Please, if you are warriors, then help her!"

"Don't need to tell us twice!" Sabin replied, and with that, Celes and himself pounded up the stairs after Terra, who had already reached the surface. Outside, a hot wind was blowing and Terra was running towards a huge, horned creature that stood at least 12 feet tall, green and scaly and hardened with muscle all over. It sneered with bright yellow teeth and swung at Terra, striking her down and causing her to cry out.

"Terra!" Celes cried, and cupped her hands together, reeling them back and swinging them towards Phunbaba. "Blizzaga!"

A whirlwind of ice and snow and crystal slammed into Phunbaba's face, causing it to roar and tumble backwards onto it's backside, rolling from it's extreme girth around the waistline. Sabin and Celes ran to Terra's side, where she was panting and clinging to herself, blood from a massive scratch pouring out of her side.

"I've really lost it...my fighting edge...ohhh..." Terra's eyes suddenly rolled back and she swooned, collapsing in Sabin's arms and releasing her grip on herself. Phunbaba howled again and finally rolled back up onto its stubby legs and feet, turning in a full 360 and taking off away from Mobliz. Celes sighed out in relief and turned to her friend, lowering her palms towards Terra's wound and casting a Curaga spell. Afterwards, Sabin lifted her in his arms and the party retreated back into the underground children's city. Celes kept her gaze to the ground the whole time. Terra...had been very right.

Later that evening, after a measly dinner provided by Duane's trapping skills; Katarin appeared and bowed quickly to Celes and Sabin, who both didn't have much to say to each other at dinner.

"Terra is awake, if you would like to see her. Your magic did wonders, Miss Celes."

"It always does." Celes said a little sadly, but got up, with Sabin following. Terra was in what was designated the "sick room" of the hiding place, complete with a real bed salvaged from the town's destruction, a fireplace that had been cleaned, but never used, and a few buckets of water and apples. Terra was lying back, a little girl kneeling at the side of the bed, but when Celes and Sabin came in, Terra gestured for the girl to leave them, and she got up, sniffling and muttering as she walked past.

"Mama...will you be ok...?"

The door slammed shut behind them, and Terra watched her friends somberly.

"I'm staying here...as you can see, the children need me."

"Terra..." Celes began, but Sabin cut her off.

"Heal your wounds, Terra...you're in no condition anyway." Terra widened her eyes some.

"Maybe...Maybe after a little more time passes...I need to understand what's happening to me." Terra sighed. "I'm sorry...I'm staying." She said those last two words bluntly and efficiently. Celes didn't open her mouth to fight back. However, Terra reached down, and pulled something from the sheath on her belt, which still hung loosely from her hips as it did when they had traveled together...

"Celes, I would like you to have this." She pulled out a slightly dulled, golden hilt of a sword...but that was all that was there. It was delicately encrusted with sapphires and rubies, and slightly glimmered in the dull candlelight of the room.

"What...is it?" Celes blinked and took the hilt, turning it in her hands.

"It was given to me by the very last adult in this city, a scholar." Terra explained. "He found it on an expedition outside of Mobliz...but when he left to go on another, he never returned..."

"The hilt of a sword?" Sabin gazed at it over Celes' shoulder.

"It is no ordinary sword." Terra continued on. "It is named Atma Weapon."

"Atma? Like the beast we fought on the floating continent?" Celes blinked and watched her friend's gaze to see if she was serious. Of course, she was.

"Yes, exactly like Atma the beast." Terra replied. "The scholar explained to me that there were in fact two Atma Weapons. There was the beast, which we defeated, and another form, which was just as powerful. That hilt you hold is actually a sword, but it's power reflects the power of the user, and if you haven't guessed, that makes it a very potentially dangerous weapon." As Terra spoke, a dull, but cutting blue light began to draw out of the end of the hilt, forming into a see-through crystal blue blade that emitted a soft aura of light. It was about two feet long.

"This is...my power?" Celes asked, turning the sword again.

"It is." Terra said. "But you see, when I take it..." She took the sword from Celes and clasped it in her own fingers. Moments later, the blade shrunk to that of a tiny dagger, something Locke would use to pick locks with. "...It is not much of anything. That is why I want you to have it. You will put it to good use, I imagine." She handed it back to Celes. Celes found instantly that by just thinking about it, the sword shrunk to just the hilt again, and she could fasten it on the belt of her leather pants. Not only could she wield her power...she could manipulate it at will.

"Thank you...Terra." Celes said, half-gratefully and half-sullenly. "I will put it to good use...by piercing Kefka's heart." Terra just stared at her sadly, and Sabin didn't say a word. Celes decided that this should be their good-bye time...at least for now.

"We'll be back." Celes added. Terra moaned and fell against her pillows, closing her eyes and trying to control her body from breaking out into sad sobs. Oh, how she longed to be with her friends once again...after all they had done for her...and this was all she could do to repay them...

"Take care of yourself." Sabin offered. However, his words went unheard, as Terra had fallen back asleep.

As Celes and Sabin exited the underground, the same child that had kicked Celes before came running up to them something glimmering in his hands.

"Thanks for scaring Phunbaba away!" He exclaimed. "In his haste, he dropped this!" Celes took it, and bit down on her lip.

Magicite.

The stuff that caused this whole stupid war on the world.

Celes clutched it so tightly, she thought it would crumble beneath her fingertips, but something inside of her told her to relax. She remembered the suffering that the Espers had to go through to become this substance. She remembered from when she was younger, when the Esper Shiva was partially infused in her.

And then she remembered that Terra was still half-Esper. None of that had changed. And so her suffering, the Espers' suffering, it was all Terra's suffering too, perhaps twice as badly for her.

Maybe...we shouldn't come back for Terra. Celes thought sadly. Maybe we should just leave her alone.

*********

Sabin and Celes, after a difficult and hot night's rest in the wasteland, awoke and finally managed to stumble upon the path to Nikeah port. It was another hot, achingly dry day. However, the change of scenery was a welcome one. This town was bustling, full of merchants and people, and the masts of the ships in port could be seen waving high in the dry wind. Celes almost felt happy enough to smile, but didn't allow herself that little comfort just yet. If finding and recruiting the others was going to be as difficult as Terra, she wasn't sure she even wanted to try.

"Hey Sabin?"

"Yeah?"

"You think we can take on Kefka by ourselves?"

"Erm...not likely, why?"

"Because we might have to."

"Ahh, please, don't say that!"

They shared a small laugh, when suddenly, Celes heard someone speaking loudly and incompetently- a combination that was very familiar to her ears. Looking around, she tried to see where the voice was coming from.

"What are you scurvy weasels waiting for? Let's go!"

"Yes, let's go!" A chorus of voices replied.

Marching past Celes and Sabin, a tall, elegant man appeared, although his attire spoke less of him. He was in dull rags that were literally draped around his body, with a long, sweeping dusty gray cloak. His skin was tan and his hair was long and blonde, tied behind his head in a low ponytail secured with fraying ribbons. His boots literally raised dust as he strolled by, but turning his head slightly, he gazed at Celes with an intensity way too much for any stranger to hold, and then suddenly looked away and continued forward. Celes gasped and narrowed her eyes. She followed his form as a troop of dirty, cursing, and laughing bandits followed behind him, heading towards the harbor.

"Did you see him?" Celes asked, turning towards Sabin.

"I sure did." Sabin cocked his head to the side. "What an arrogant jerk, huh?"

"Uh, I think that arrogant jerk is your brother!"

"What?" Sabin blinked and turned to look at the man again, but he had disappeared.

"Let's catch up with him!" Celes cried, and with that, the two bolted down towards the harbor. The bandits were loud and obnoxious, there was no way they could miss them, and of course, the stranger leading them wasn't much farther ahead.

"Edgar!" Celes cried. "Wait!" Suddenly, the group stopped by a pub, and the bandits started chattering among themselves and filing in.

"Hurry up, would you!?" The leader cried in a slightly....slightly whiny tone. He waited outside, tapping his foot and crossing his arms over his chest. Celes and Sabin caught up to him, panting from running so fast.

"Edgar!" Celes said again, and he glared at her.

"What's your problem?"

"Er...Y...You're Edgar, aren't you?" Celes tried again, and he shook his head coolly.

"My name is Gerad." He snapped, and Sabin put his hands on his hips.

"Edgar...."

"Enough of this nonsense! I have things to do!" Gerad cackled and banged his fist against the door of the pub. "We're getting ready for our departure to Figaro." Celes gasped a little as he stared straight at her again, and then Sabin, with his piercing blue eyes. The way he said "Figaro" had

definitely been weird. For that second, his tone took on a more hurried, stressed effect. She was sure of it.

"Yar!" The bandits suddenly burst out of the pub, all banging their glass bottles together and cheering for no apparent reason. They started marching towards the harbor again, but now Gerad took up the rear, not even glancing back at Celes and Sabin as they left. Celes was getting desperate now. Her mind flashed back to her thoughts of beating Kefka alone with Sabin, and while she certainly respected and thought highly of her partner, she knew their asses would be in the ground from the Light of Judgment alone if they didn't have more help.

"Edgar!!!!!!" She suddenly cried out, her voice echoing in the city air. Some people stopped to turn and stare, and Sabin even looked a little embarrassed. Gerad stopped, and looked over his shoulder, staring at Celes again intensely, but this time, he was not smiling. Celes knew she looked like one of those pathetic maidens who ran after all the men that left them in dramatic books and plays, but pride wasn't something she was thinking about just now. Yes, that was how truly desperate she had become.

"Don't play possum with me!" Celes cried. "Edgar??? Or..." She trailed off and blinked. "Have you...somehow lost your memory...?" A drowning despair began to overtake her. Of course, that was the only answer...Edgar had been hurt and lost...his memories. Amnesia...just like Terra!

Gerad stared at her for a moment and let out a sigh, shaking his head and wagging his finger. "...Listen, my lady, I have been Gerad all my life!" He turned to leave again, but suddenly, a small smile curled on Celes' lips.

"Only Edgar would say..."My Lady"..."

Gerad stopped for a moment, but didn't turn around. In fact, he continued walking, muttering some, but loud enough for Celes and Sabin to hear.

"What's all the bloomin' fuss about...? The words "My Lady" are used the world over!" Finally, Gerad disappeared from few, going down the dock and turning onto an idle ship, following his men. Celes turned to Sabin, and he nodded.

"I don't know why I didn't see it before!"

"I knew it was him, I just knew it...lets hurry up!"

The two crept over to the docks, hiding behind two crates when they came into view of Gerad and the bandits, who were busy loading supplies. Gerad was standing near the gangplank, keeping an eye on every bandit that got on and off the ship to load more items.

"Oh, yeah, you guys DO know how to get into Figaro castle, don't you?" Gerad asked a little edgily.

"G'ho-ho-ho, do we ever!" The bandits exclaimed, and Gerad rolled his eyes, leaning back some.

"Yeah, well, then you'll be the ones leading the way, since it's buried underground and all."

"Figaro Castle is underground?" Celes hissed, and Sabin shrugged.

"This is all news to me, as you can see, I rarely get out much." Celes sighed and rubbed her thigh- her legs were beginning to hurt from squatting so awkwardly behind the crates.

"You do realize what we have to do?"

"Sneak onto the ship?" Sabin grinned, and Celes nodded.

"But we can't let Gerad...I mean Edgar, catch us, or else..."

"There won't be an "or else" if he's Edgar for real, right?" Sabin smiled reassuringly. "There has to be an explanation."

"I know, it just seems crazy that we are following this guy on a whim..."

"Well, we wanted to get off the continent somehow, right?" Sabin questioned. "So let's consider this killing two chocobos with one stone.""...That's an interesting expression." Celes rolled her eyes and peeked over the top of the crate, biting down on her lip. Although this was definitely more light-hearted than the adventure with Terra, Celes still couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of dread. It seemed like it really was going to be difficult to find the others...only Sabin had been willing to join her right off the bat, Terra had lost the will to fight, and Edgar...well, was this even really Edgar?There was only one way to find out.

Chapter Thirty-Five - Falcon's Wings: Setzer Gabbiani

The afternoon sun was hitting Celes and Sabin hard as they crouched on the bandits' ship, having managed to climb on when Gerad had turned his back to board. They were both sitting behind a huge stack of crates, sweating and not daring to say a word. Celes' eyes began to feel heavy, and before she knew it, she had passed out against Sabin's shoulder. By the time they had arrived in a port, Sabin was shaking her shoulders to get her to wake up.

"Come on Celes, we've landed somewhere...looks like...South Figaro!"

"Mmmm?" Celes blinked and opened her eyes, trying to focus.

The town was indeed South Figaro, and for the most part, it seemed like not much had changed- in fact, the town actually looked better than from Celes had last seen. The damage the Empire occupancy had caused was all rebuilt. People were still filling the streets, going to and from wherever and shopping at the roadside vendors. Gerad and crew immediately filed off of the ship, leaving most of their supplies behind. As Celes and Sabin crept behind them, Gerad suddenly dropped something shiny and turned around, bending to pick it up and glaring at a shocked Celes and Sabin. He grabbed what he had dropped- a coin, no less, and narrowed his eyes.

"Are you people STILL here?"

"Be polite now, Edgar!" Celes snapped.

"Really, what are you doing?" Sabin exclaimed.

"Boss, everyone is ready!" A bandit cried, and Gerad turned away, ignoring Sabin's question.

"A case of mistaken identity my dears...give it up!"

Their chase of Gerad lasted that whole afternoon...he led the Returners and the bandits through the Figaro Cave, and along the way, Celes was assaulted with the fading memories of her and Locke's battle inside of it. She remembered how pissed off she was back then, that this punk had just come out of nowhere to rescue her like some damsel in distress...Oh, but how she wished they were back in those simpler times now! Back then, Celes' only problems were that she was branded an imperial traitor and that she had no choice but to stick with these rogue Returners, enemies of her enemies. Now though...her enemies had become her friends, and it was like each one of them had disappeared with a piece of her heart. Worse yet, it was not an Empire that was her enemy now...it was a psychotic...god-like figure, and the dying world that hid her comrades within it.

Near the end of the cave, instead of turning out of the exit like Celes and Locke had, Gerad stopped near a spring and kneeled down. Celes and Sabin, not too far behind, watched concernedly.

"Why is he stopping?"

"I dunno."

"Hey turtle!" Gerad suddenly exclaimed, and Celes and Sabin looked at each other, the same expression written on both their faces.

"What?"

"Here boy, here's some nice food for you!"

There was a slight splashing sound, and all of a sudden, from under the waters of the spring, a huge, ancient turtle appeared, swimming slowly towards Gerad and craning it's neck to see what was in his hand. When he was finally close enough, Gerad extended his hand more, and the turtle began to eat from it gratefully. Celes just stared- she had never seen anything like that turtle in her life. It was so massive!

With that, Gerad stood up, and leapt on the turtle's back! The turtle let out a low moan-like noise and ferried Gerad across the spring, where he hopped off across to the other side and disappeared through an opening in the rocky wall.

"Mmm, I used to have a turtle once!" Gerad sang as he disappeared, and Sabin stood up.

"Ok, that is definitely Edgar."

"You and Edgar used to have a turtle?" Celes smiled.

"No, HE had the turtle. And, he ended up losing it a week later."

"Did you ever find it?"

"Well...apparently, our royal chef did..."

"Oh....Oh!!!" Celes made a face, and Sabin laughed nervously.

On that happy note, Celes took the lead and gestured the turtle over, luring it to her and Sabin so that they could cross also. The path through the opening was rocky and narrow, but it was also straight, so they couldn't get lost. After a few minutes of tedious walking, they suddenly spotted light ahead of them. It was another opening; one that looked recently made. The pickaxe that had probably helped create it was stuck in a wall nearby. After shifting through the rubble and stepping inside, Celes and Sabin found themselves in...

"Figaro Castle?" Sabin blinked.

"Figaro Castle's dungeon, no less." Celes corrected, for in front of them were the classic metal jail bars that kept the criminals from running amuck. To her right, there were more bars, and to her left, a stone wall. However, the door to the cell was wide open and gently swinging on its hinges, so someone had obviously just come through and given it a hard push when they made their exit.

"Well, you know your way around here..." Celes gave Sabin a push ahead. "So start walking."

"But...something doesn't seem right." Sabin countered, wearily reaching up and taking a lit torch from its stand on the wall. "Look at all this sand." Their feet scraped against the huge piles of sand as they walked along towards the exit of the dungeon, and Celes sighed.

"Of course there is sand, we're underground, remember? I bet we're smack under the Figaro Desert!"

"But if we're truly underground, that means there is no way we're getting to the surface parts of the castle." Sabin frowned as they stepped through the exit of the dungeon and looked around. They were in a small antechamber, and the only other access they had to anything was the set of descending stairs across from them. The doors ahead were blocked with a solid dune of sand, and the doors below led to the outside, which Sabin was not to particularly eager to see at the moment.

"So what's that?" Celes asked, pointing to the other stairs.

"Well, that's just the switch room." Sabin replied, thinking carefully. "And there was nothing in there except.... The switch to make the castle move and the guard whom always yelled at Edgar and I."

"Why did he always yell at you?"

"Well, there are also stairs in there that led to the engine of the castle itself, and of course, Edgar being the way he is, always wanted to tinker with it. But we never really got to sneak down there."

"Well, that's where Edgar has to be right now." Celes concluded. "I bet he's using those bandits to help him fix the castle!"

"It's a possibility." Sabin said, and gestured for her to follow. "Let's go, but be careful! All I heard about this place was that it was dangerous."

So with that, the two Returners crept into the switch room and found the staircase that Edgar had so wanted to traverse from his younger days. The stairs led to what seemed like a maze, just rows and rows of corridors and chambers with all sorts of complicated switches, and some with treasure boxes loaded with supplies for maintenance. It was also crawling with underground monsters that had slithered into the castle, but Celes and Sabin dispatched of them quickly and moved on. Eventually, the pair came to a long, wide corridor that led to a huge pair of metal double doors. Outside of it stood Gerad, kneeling over a bandit that had swooned on the floor.

"You all right?" Gerad asked. "You were almost a goner!"

There was no reply, and Gerad stood up, brushing off his clothes.

"So, apparently, our problem is in there." Gerad said, motioning towards the double doors. "What a mess..."

"That monster in there wiped Mikey right out!" A bandit squealed.

"And how are we gonna get back there? That's where our treasure be!"

"I have a plan." Gerad said, putting his hands on his hips. "You get into the back room, and I'll keep the monster busy!"

"But Boss! Dat's dangerous!"

"Just go!" Gerad barked, and they all jumped, looking at each other and suddenly forcing their way through the double doors. Celes could hear the pounding footsteps fade away, and the angry roar of...something. Gerad turned and started to go through the doors himself.

"Edgar!" Celes suddenly cried, running down the corridor and causing Gerad to stop dead in his tracks. He turned around and put his hands on his hips.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Celes? Give me a hand!"

"Edgar!" Celes exclaimed happily. "I knew it was you!"

"Brother!" Sabin exclaimed with her, running down the corridor and giving Edgar a huge bear hug. Edgar laughed and hugged his brother back gratefully.

"Let's save the reunion special for later." Edgar said. "There seriously is a dangerous monster in there. I think it's what caused the castle to suspend underground."

"I'm all for a good fight!" Sabin grinned, flexing his huge arm. Edgar, leading the group, burst through the metal doors, and Celes gasped.

Surrounding them on their tiny bridge was nothing but churning metal and machinery, but it there was something wrong. It made struggling, grinding noises, and consuming a great deal of it was a bright yellow, glowing, tentacle like being. Celes could see nothing but hundreds and hundreds of tiny, slimy tentacles pulsating everywhere.

"Is this whole thing the monster?" Celes asked, and Edgar nodded.

"Yes, but...it is not the part we must finish off...."

As he was speaking, four, huge, swinging tentacles seemingly crept up from nowhere behind the heroes. They were at least 25 feet high, and as thick as some of the most ancient trees. One of the tentacles rushed down, wrapping it's slimy self around Celes' waist and yanking her up, holding her upside down and causing her to let out a stream of curses.

"HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLP!!"

"Celes!" The Figaro brothers cried in unison, and with that, Edgar withdrew his auto crossbow, and Sabin prepared to pounce with his claw.

"BEHIND YOU!" Celes shrieked, and just in time, Sabin turned around and swiped away a tentacle that was ready to assault him. Celes, moaning and struggling, managed to grasp Atma Weapon underneath the tentacle, willing it to activate. However, she suddenly felt an electric shock rip through her body, and she felt her energy start to drain from her limbs, as if someone had pulled her plug.

"Ohhh..." Celes moaned, and felt her eyes starting to get heavy. "Come on...Atma..." But nothing happened, and Terra's words came back to Celes in a hazy flashback.

"That hilt you hold is actually a sword, but it's power reflects the power of the user..."

"No good..." Celes yawned, and suddenly passed out, limp.

Meanwhile, Edgar had been struggling to aim at the tentacle that held Celes captive, but it kept evading his flying arrows and trying to use Celes as a shield. Sabin had managed to destroy one of the tentacles, but now there were still three more to go.

"Brother!" Sabin cried. "What are we going to do?"

"I haven't the foggiest!" Edgar squealed. "But...perhaps I could distract this thing with my arrows, and you could go in for the kill!"

"Just don't hit Celes!" Sabin said, and Edgar nodded.

"I'll be careful."

Edgar started shooting a little more off target now, but it was still enough to get the tentacle to flip out and start dodging. Meanwhile, Sabin dashed past Edgar and with one hard swing, sliced the tentacle open and caused a low growl to erupt within the machinery. The tentacle withered about and dropped Celes, who landed on the metal bridge with a heavy "thump". As Sabin finished off her captor, Edgar kneeled to her side.

"Celes? Can you hear me?"

"Mmm-hmmm..." Celes murmured, and opened her eyes halfway. "I need....something..."

"Erm...here!" Edgar dug around in his robes and pulled out a Hi- Potion, popping the cork out of the top and forcing the red, see-through liquid down Celes' throat. She coughed a little, but felt as if her energy and warmth was flooding back into her, drowning her senses and sending her into hyper-drive.

"Thanks Edgar!" She exclaimed, leaping to her feet and drawing the magnificent Atma, which had regained its regal blue blade. With a cry and a running charge, Celes thrust the blade through the second tentacle behind Sabin and sliced it clean in half. Edgar, abandoning his crossbow for now, drew his own sword and following through with Celes, slashed the final tentacle. At this final blow, the whole room began to quiver and shake, and the baby tentacles on the machinery began to shrivel up and shrink, until they all disappeared in a burst of purple light. The machinery began to purr and click more smoothly now, and the team let out a gasp as they felt themselves begin to move...no, Figaro Castle beginning to move! Everyone looked at each other, grinning, and sheathed their respective weapons. Celes walked over to Edgar, and gave him a rough poke in the chest.

"So, why the stupid farce?" Celes demanded, her happiness now turning into rage. Edgar laughed nervously and kept himself well hidden behind Sabin.

"I swear, I had good reasoning behind all of it." Edgar explained. "While traveling around, looking for you fine people, I heard that Figaro Castle had had an accident. However, I had no idea where to look. Then, I heard that those idiots had escaped from the prison in the process..."

"Oh..." Celes grinned. "You needed to use them..."

"Bingo. I had to wait to gain their trust and get them to lead me to their secret entrance that they had escaped out of. I disguised myself as a thief and told them that all of their treasure the horrible, oppressive King Edgar had revoked from them was down in the engine rooms."

"That's pretty amazing, considering you were the one who throw most of them in jail to begin with!" Celes exclaimed. "It was a good disguise."

"But not good enough for my darling Celes, right?" Edgar purred, and reached out to touch her cheek. "My Gods, you have only grown more beautiful since we last met..."

"Cut it out!" Celes barked, and slapped Edgar's hand away quite efficiently. Edgar squealed and Sabin stepped back.

"Don't treat us like strangers anymore, ok!?" Sabin demanded. "We had nothing but crap getting over here, and you just added to it!!"

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry, but like I said, it was for the greater good." Edgar whined. Suddenly, they heard the grumbling of the bandits, and Edgar dashed behind some machinery. "Hurry, let's hide!!!"

Everyone did, and a few moments later, the bandits emerged from the treasure room just beyond the bridge, looking around confusedly.

"Boss!?"

"Boss!!!!"

"Mmmm...must have gotten eaten by that thing..."

"It wasn't even that much of a monster..."

With that, they filed out; each carrying armloads of what looked like sacks and some old relics. When the coast was clear, Celes, Sabin, and Edgar emerged, looking at each other.

"You don't want that treasure back, bro?" Sabin questioned, and Edgar shook his head.

"It's completely worthless." Edgar replied, and frowned a little. "Besides, Kefka's the one we need to worry about! Those guys haven't committed any serious crimes, not compared to him."

"Oh Edgar, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that." Celes sighed in relief, and Edgar looked at her confusedly.

"It's been a very trying journey for us, Edgar." Sabin said gently. "Perhaps we should sit down somewhere and talk about it. You need to catch up."

"But first, we should get to the surface." Edgar smiled.

"But isn't there a problem with the engine?"

"It's been solved now brother!" Edgar exclaimed, opening his arms to accentuate his words. "The next stop for Figaro Castle is...Kohlingen! Watch your step!"

Celes blinked and smiled slightly. Kohlingen...was Locke's hometown.

**********

After assuring a worried Chancellor that he was just fine, Edgar led the group out of Figaro Castle and they began the short walk to Kohlingen. He decided that it was best for them not to hang around while everyone was busy restoring conduct and order to the buried castle. Celes didn't say anything, but she was desperately anxious to go to Kohlingen anyway, because surely someone knew of Locke there...perhaps that crazy herb guy that was watching Rachel. She frowned a little and

chewed her lip in thought. She wondered if, in fact, Rachel was still alive after everything had happened. Then she paled and chewed more. No.Rachel never WAS alive...she just wasn't dead, either....

She was in limbo.

Celes was silent as the team entered Kohlingen and took a look around. This village had not fared as well as South Figaro. A few more homes had collapsed, but were never fixed back up. Rachel's house was still in the south side, as shabby as ever. The gardens of flowers were pale and dead, and the grass was a sickening yellow color. Celes watched sadly as a pair of sisters kneeled over a patch of land, and she could hear the littler one praying that a seed would sprout.

"I think the Inn is a safe spot to rest." Edgar suggested. Sabin and he took off, and Celes followed, her hair flying back from her face in a sudden dusty gust of wind.

Inside the Inn, the whole bar was deserted except for a lone figure sitting alone at a table, playing solitaire with a deck of cards. While Edgar and Sabin left to make negotiations with the Innkeeper, Celes walked over to a table near the only window in the bar and sat, gazing out of it and pondering. Was Locke here? She found herself doubting it very highly. She knew that somehow, if he were here, she would be able to sense it right away-- and she had felt nothing. She decided right then and there that she was not going to depress herself looking for him. Besides, she didn't want to see that crazy herb bastard or Rachel, whether she was still in one piece or not. Celes knew that would just cloud her mind more than it already was. She decided that yes, it was time to move on. Her personal mission to seek out Locke had become her friends' mission to destroy Kefka. A chapter of her adventures was over.

Celes, focus on Kefka...Kefka is the one you must worry about now...Edgar and Sabin wish to fight, and you must aid them....focus...how are we even going to get to Kefka? He's locked away in that huge tower...

"Hey, lady, you're blocking my light."

The man playing solitaire had looked up and was glaring daggers in the back of Celes' head. Not turning around, she narrowed her eyes and continued gazing out the window.

"Leave me alone."

The man snorted and stood up now, crossing his arms over his chest, his long, black coat gently sweeping the floor.

"Could you at least move to another table?"

"No!" Celes snapped. "I said, leave me THE HELL ALONE!"

With that, the man stomped over, and roughly grabbed Celes by the shoulder, whipping her around to face him. She gasped in surprise as she looked up, nearly tumbling over in her chair. The man, surprised as well, dropped his hand and took a step back. Celes' heart was pounding a million miles an hour in her chest. That long silver hair...those deep-blue eyes...those three intricate scars...

"S...Setzer..." Celes trailed off, not really believing her eyes. Another friend? So soon? Had the tides of fate changed so suddenly in the Retuner's favor?

"You're alive?" Setzer blinked and suddenly enveloped Celes in a tight hug. She didn't resist, she only closed her watering eyes and held him close to her, squeezing tight to assure him that she was. Sabin and Edgar walked in right then, shocked at the sight before them and gasping out in unison, as only twins could do.

"Setzer?!"

Setzer turned around and saw his other friends, gasping and laughing as they ran over and hugged. Celes stayed in her chair, overwhelmed with happiness and hope. They had found a fourth Returner! Perhaps things were not as dim as they seemed!

After everyone had settled down around a bigger table, Setzer started firing off questions.

"Where have you guys been!?"

"Well..." Edgar trailed off. "That, I don't know. Ask Celes and Sabin!" Setzer turned his eyes on the two, and they looked at each other.

"It's a terribly long story..." Celes sighed.

"I've got all the time in the world." Setzer replied, banging his fists on the table. "Tell me!!"

"Well..." Celes began, resting her hand underneath her chin. "It all started when I awoke on this island..." With that, she began to explain the entire tale to Setzer, right up to walking in the Inn and sitting down. When she was finished, Setzer sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"So, you're looking for Locke now?"

"We're looking for everyone." Celes insisted. "It's just that...well, he saved me...I'm sure of it...I just wanted to thank him a last time." She reached up and touched the bandana around her forehead. "But...that's not my main objective anymore."

"A last time?" Setzer asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"It's been decided that even if we can't find everyone, we are still going to fight Kefka." Sabin said. "That's what has to happen."

"Even without Terra though?" Edgar asked, having heard this story for the first time as well.

"I tried to convince her..." Celes trailed off and sighed. "But she wasn't lying when she said she lost her power. Something has happened to her, although I cannot tell you what. But Sabin and I saw it with our own eyes. She just crumbled." She looked up at Setzer. "But surely, Setzer..."

"...I know how Terra feels." Setzer interrupted, and Celes blinked. "I mean...phew, that was quite the adventure you just told me...and I don't know if I have it in me anymore."

"What?!" Celes burst, nearly jumping from her chair. "What are you talking about!?"

"Setzer!" Edgar and Sabin both cried.

"You have to come along with us!" Celes insisted. "This is Kefka we're talking about!"

"I know, it's KEFKA." Setzer repeated. "And that's the thing. I'm just a gambler...I just want to be left alone. This world is just too chaotic for me...and what's worse, I've lost my wings." He looked down sadly, and Sabin clenched his fist.

"Setzer, to us, you were more than just your airship!"

"That's right!" Celes cried, leaning in. "Before the world collapsed, you fought with all your heart! You were absolutely fearless...

Setzer sighed and looked up at her. "That was then... We can never have that world back!"

Celes narrowed her eyes, turning angry and now taking her turn to smash her fist on the table. "You want to live in this world as it is? No? Then do something about it!" Edgar and Sabin looked at each other, and then at Setzer. He was looking down, his long hair hanging in his face. Celes was panting slightly from getting overexcited and yelling so loud. Slowly, Setzer raised his head, but he was...grinning?

"Mwa ha!" He burst out laughing and stood up. "All right... you win! I'm starting to feel lucky!!" Celes smiled happily and Sabin and Edgar gave Setzer a double high-five. Setzer sighed out happily and stretched, as if he had just woken up from a long self-pity nap. "Thanks... I needed that." He started to pace the bar anxiously, plans already being calculated in his mind as he took each step. "Mmm...yes...Now, let's go visit Daryl's Tomb."

"Uh, what?" Celes tried to keep her smile on, but she could have sworn Setzer had just said they were going to visit a tomb. Edgar and Sabin looked at each other confusedly.

"Who is...Daryl?" Edgar questioned. Setzer looked at his friends and smiled some. The only person he had ever spoken to about Daryl was Terra...and she wasn't here anymore. He decided that while the time wasn't right yet, it would be soon. He would explain when the time came for it.

"... We're gonna get us another one... Airship, that is...!"

**********

Celes shivered as they stepped outside the Inn that night. All was quiet in the town, and not even a cricket could be heard. Setzer was leading the way, and Sabin was taking up the rear. Celes walked a little faster to catch up with Setzer and made a face.

"I do not understand why we have to go in the middle of the night, and to a tomb, no less."

"Well, we definitely have to go to her tomb for a reason." Setzer said, and smiled. "And well...it's just funner at night, don't you think?"

Celes paled and decided to keep her mouth shut. Daryl's tomb was a good hour's walk away, and the desert that had consumed the surrounding area of Kohlingen even more since the world's undoing made the temperature very cold at night. Sabin and Edgar were trying to scare each other with ghost stories, and then Sabin shared his tale of the Phantom Train with everyone. By the time they had reached the tomb itself, Celes was thoroughly creeped out, and ready to go back to Kohlingen.

The tomb itself was merely just a mausoleum carved out from a hill of surprisingly green grass and some flowers. After prying open the rusty, iron gate door, Setzer led the team down a flight of very narrow, steep, stone stairs. Celes provided some light by using a Fire spell on a torch hanging from the wall at the bottom of the steps.

It was cold, damp, and musty...and far away, Celes could hear the sound of trickling waters and of creatures that might have been down there with them, enjoying the nightlife. The further down they went, the darker things seemed to get, and the creepier the scenery. Sabin gasped out suddenly as he tripped over a small headstone, grumbling as he hit the floor and scaring the living daylights out of everyone else. Celes turned to help him up, and as she kneeled down, her eyes narrowed to read he headstone that he had tripped over, but it was difficult to make out.

"...The...world...is...square?"

"The world is square?" Edgar repeated, kneeling down with them. "That doesn't make any bloody sense at all."

"Does it have to make sense?" Setzer grinned, and the three looked up at him.

"Whoever was hired to make this tomb was really messed in the head." Edgar replied snottily. "I mean, really, who puts tombstones within a...well, tomb?"

"Maybe it wasn't the person that made the tomb." Setzer shrugged casually. "Maybe it was someone else inside the tomb."

"...What?" Celes and Edgar both choked, looking at each other.

"It's a possibility." Sabin said, agreeing with Setzer. "I mean, I didn't believe in ghosts or anything like that either...until the Phantom Train!"

"Brother, I swear, you hit your head and dreamt all that." Edgar snapped edgily. "Because there is just no way in Hell that really happened."

"Then ask Shadow or Cyan!" Sabin protested. "They'll defend me!"

"Oh, I'll be sure to ask when I see them." Edgar said, and stood up, groaning. "How much further?"

"Just a little more." Setzer assured him, and with that, they started again. After a few more corridors and tombstone gardens, the team reached another doorway. Setzer started through, and found himself on another long, narrow staircase. He knew that they were close now. Celes, her teeth chattering from the cold, was the last one in line.

"This person...Daryl..." Celes suddenly spoke, softly. "She was your friend?"

Setzer nodded and continued walking, without a beat of hesitation.

"Yeah, she was a piece of work...Nothing scared her..." A few moments later, they stopped at a final opening, and Setzer turned, his face eerily gaunt in the light of the torch.

"Could be anything lurking down here, so keep your eyes peeled!"

The team slipped through the door, and there, ahead of them, was a tall altar, made of beautiful white marble and had fresh, blooming roses wrapped in silk ribbons distributed on and around it. Behind the altar was a coffin, closed tightly shut, and covered with a soft, light blue silk cover. A picture of a dove, soaring high, was carved into the altar, and the words encrypted over it were:

DARYL SLEEPS HERE

Celes looked around, and then broke away from the group, kneeling down and inhaling some of the flowers. They were definitely fresh, some even still dotted with dew...she looked up, and saw Setzer staring down sadly at the altar. Celes realized that he had probably come here very recently, maybe even this morning. No wonder Setzer hadn't have wanted to leave Kohlingen. He was so close to...Daryl here.

"This brings back a lot of memories." Setzer suddenly said, his voice piercing the quiet veil of sadness that had fallen over them. He looked up, a smile still on his face as he spoke. "Mmmm, I remember our last day together like it was yesterday..."

"Setzer..." Edgar trailed off.

"You don't have to..." Sabin protested, and he shook his head.

"No, it's ok...despite it being our last day...it is still...a happy memory." He walked around to the side of the coffin, kneeling down and touching the silk covering it. When he lifted his fingers, they were coated in dust.

"We were in her workshop, which was in a little isolated corner of this very continent. She had just completed her latest work...the most incredible engine ever known to man...and put it in her very own airship, The Falcon...."

*********

"This experimental airship is probably a bit unstable..." A young, pretty blonde woman, with violet eyes like an amethyst, was slipping on some brown leather flying gloves. She was tall, and hardly waif-like, with a strong frame and all her hair swept up in a wavy ponytail underneath her goggles, which rested on her forehead. Her scarlet red riding outfit consisted of a button down red jacket, white blouse underneath, and a short scarlet skirt with matching pants underneath and heavy brown combat boots. She looked to Setzer, whose hands were on his hips.

"You can't be serious! What are you trying to prove!?" He smirked, and Daryl smirked back.

"If something should happen to me, the Falcon's yours!"

"Nonsense!" Setzer nearly exploded. "I'll win the Falcon from you when I whip you in a race! So you'd better clear outta my way!"

Daryl burst out into her loud, hardly lady-like laughter, and shook her finger. "Big talk, buster!"

**********

Setzer sighed out happily and he raised his hands from the steering wheel of The Blackjack. The wind was whipping through his hair, his coat was blowing back as if they were his own wings, and Daryl's laughter could be heard dancing on the breeze from her airship, The Falcon, beside him. "There's nothing like flying!"

"Come on! Stop lagging back there!" Daryl exclaimed, waving her arms frantically. "Or do you like chewing on my wake?"

"Listen to you!" Setzer laughed, and put his hands back on the wheel, pulling ahead further. Daryl smirked and jerked her ship into a higher gear, sailing right back up to Setzer and this time even surpassing him by a few feet. Setzer looked over at her, and was awestruck. Her blonde locks had been freed from her ponytail thanks to the wind, and were flying everywhere like spun gold. She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted, not just for him to hear, but for the world.

"This time's for real! I'm going to break every record! I'll be known as the woman who flew closest to the stars!"

Setzer put his hands on his hips. No way was he gonna finish this race in first place, that was for sure. Today, Daryl's dream was going to come true, and if that left him in the dust, then so be it! Because when it all finally settled, he would still be there, cheering and waving her on. His dream had never been to be the fastest- his dream was for *her* to be the fastest.

"Be back before sunset!" Setzer exclaimed. "I'll be waiting for you on our hill."

**********

Setzer sighed and stood up again.

"The wreck of the Falcon was found...a full year later." He was not crying, much to Celes' surprise, but his voice had begun to waver slightly. "I restored the craft, and put it to rest down here."

"Oh...So it is The Falcon that is down here." Edgar said softly. "And Daryl...?"

Setzer shook his head. Celes felt her heart skip a beat. All of this...it was merely for show. Merely a monument for the past...

"I...I put it in storage." Setzer sighed. "I couldn't bear to look at it. But now...now it just may save us...if Daryl knew...oh, she would be so proud..."

Suddenly, the sound of something rickety could be heard clattering against the stone floor of the tomb. The Returners looked up, and watched in horror as through the wall, a purple gas-like cloud rushed in, dragging behind it a wooden cart full of dangling skeletons and rotting bodies. It was transparent, and Celes knew that it was some sort of a ghost...albeit, an ANGRY ghost...

"Everyone, get out of the way!" Setzer cried, and with that cue, the Returners dove out of the path of the ghost as it raced through. However, when seeing that it missed it's targets, it turned around violently, swinging the transparent cart hard against the altar (Celes almost expected the altar to burst into hundreds of pieces), and charged after them again.

"Hey, Edgar, maybe you should ask him if he put in the tombstones!" Sabin said sarcastically.

"Uh, no thanks, because I have the feeling ours are going to be next!" Edgar suddenly whipped out one of his famous tools, the giant camera he had used in Zozo. "Say cheese, big, purple, and ugly!"

With a brilliant flash, the camera exploded into light, and the demon stopped moving for the moment, roaring and quivering as only a purple mass can. To add to it's discomfort, Setzer sent out a pack of cards with their razor edges, striking the cloud, but watched in horror as they just sailed through and struck the wall on the other side.

"Our weapons can't touch it!" Setzer exclaimed.

"Then it's time for a little magic!" Celes declared, raising a hand with her index and middle fingers pointed up, her thumb curled over her pointer and pinky. A soft, white aura began to swirl around her, and as she closed her eyes, she could feel it coming- a new spell, a new cantation to save them and rid the undead from this sacred place forever. And somehow, even though she had never known Daryl in her lifetime, Celes could feel her spirit surrounding them, urging them to fight on.

"HOLY!!!!!"

A dazzling white ring descended from the sky, made of an infinite amount of tiny pearls and glittering light. As the pearls surrounded the demon, they closed in, zooming at such a speed that all of a sudden there was a burst of pure, beautiful light. As the sparkles and diamond dust faded away, it could be seen that there was nothing that remained behind. All of the torches and candles in the room burst to life, beautiful, golden flames lighting the room and revealing the arched doorway behind Daryl's resting place.

"Wow..." Sabin trailed off, taking a step forward and looking around. "It's...it's really pretty..."

"Thanks, Celes!" Setzer exclaimed. "Where did you learn a spell like that!?"

"I...I don't know." Celes smiled some. "It honestly just came to me. I thought that after sleeping for two years, my powers would have stopped developing..."

"Let's hope not!" Edgar smiled. "We're going to need those to rip Kefka a new one!"

Celes approached Setzer, and rested a hand on his shoulder as Edgar and Sabin started for the opening in the back of the room. Setzer looked up at Celes and smiled.

"I think Daryl would have wanted to be in the Returners if she were here today." Celes said happily. "What do you think?"

"Oh, I don't doubt it." Setzer's smile turned into a playful smirk. "But I think she would try to out you as leader if she were around." Celes blinked and smiled some.

"Me, leader?"

"Yeah, who do you think is running this crack operation?" Setzer patted her back and started on ahead. Celes stood there, just watching him for a moment, and shook her head, running to catch up with him.

"Crack operation!? Did anyone tell you I used to be a GENERAL....!?"

**********

The next morning, Celes awoke in her very own chamber on The Falcon, in a soft, heavenly feather bed. She sat up and stretched, feeling the warm sunshine bathe her body and feeling the best that she could remember in...well, two years. Climbing up to the deck of the sleek new airship, she spotted Sabin and Edgar, chatting away, and Setzer steering his new prize with the greatest of ease.

"I finally think we're gonna pull this off!" Edgar declared, looking up at Celes. She nodded eagerly, and ran her hand over a smooth railing.

"Now we can attack Kefka's tower from the air!"

Setzer came over to the group, and Sabin put his arms behind his head in a stretch. Edgar gently curled his fingers into a fist. "The Falcon's going to give us one last chance at that guy..."

Setzer put both his hands on the railing and looked down a the world speeding by underneath them in a blur of earth tones. "But first we need to find our friends, right?" Celes looked up at him, surprised. Edgar nodded, and put his hands on his hips.

"Right. First things first. For once I feel hopeful!" Celes was so happy; she didn't know what to say. They wouldn't be fighting alone! Surely, if the others saw them together, they would want to join the Returners again! There was no way they could not! And...that also meant...

Maybe, she could see Locke again.

Suddenly, something soft and white flew right past Celes' shoulder, letting out a chirp and soaring back into the sky ahead of The Falcon. Celes gasped and narrowed her eyes, raising her hand to her forehead so that she could see ahead.

"Hey!" Celes exclaimed. "A bird!" The others looked at her strangely, but she was suddenly very excited. This was a sign...maybe even from Locke. He was still waiting for her, somewhere, calling her name. "Setzer! Follow that bird!!!!"

Setzer raised his eyebrows, but actually turned to take the steering wheel, perplexed by the intensity in her gaze. "But why?"

Celes stared at him blankly and then shook her head. She walked to the head of the ship, and reached out with her hand, feeling the wind pass through her fingers. The bird was still in view...very barely, but it was still there, fluttering its delicate, white wings. It seemed to be getting ready to descend. Celes' hair blew back from her face, revealing the bandana still tied on her forehead. She still had yet to remove it since waking up on the beach from her fall.

"I...don't know..." She finally replied.

"Something inside just tells me it's important..."

Chapter Thirty-Six - Enigmatic Soul: Cyan Garamonde

Celes blinked and took a look around as the party descended from The Falcon. The bird had been seen diving into this area, but it was a town. Edgar raised his hand to his forehead.

"This is Maranda, isn't it?"

"Looks to be that way." Sabin agreed. "What do you think, Setzer?" Setzer raised his eyebrow and suddenly stopped a young woman who was running past them.

"What?!" She cried, but not in an angry way. She actually seemed very excited.

"Is this Maranda?" Setzer asked. "My friends are having trouble figuring out where the hell we are."

"Yes, yes." She smiled widely, and Edgar, looking up, grinned and slid on over to her, slick as an oil spill.

"Heyyyy..." He flashed another grin and slipped his arm around her. Celes rolled her eyes and Sabin hid his face. The girl looked over at Edgar, surprised.

""Heyyyy what?" She demanded.

"Has anyone ever told you that...your eyes are like sparkling emeralds?" Edgar sighed out as if in a dream, and the girl squealed, suddenly giving him a hard shove with one hand, making him stumble backwards.

"Dear Sir, the two things you were gazing at were NOT my eyes."

"Edgar!" Celes barked. "Back OFF!" Edgar, looking like a scolded puppy, slipped back over behind Sabin. Setzer chuckled, and Celes walked up to the girl.

"I'm sorry." She apologized for Edgar. "He's a dumbass."

"It's ok!" She smiled again happily. "But if you'll excuse me, I'm anxious to get home. A carrier pigeon just brought me another letter from my boyfriend!"

"Oh?" Celes questioned to herself. "I wonder if that is the bird we saw come here."

"My boyfriend lives in Mobliz." The girl explained, and then laughed gaily. "Oh my, look at me chattering away and not even introducing myself. I'm Lola." Sabin suddenly gasped and Celes looked over at him, raising her eyebrows.

"L-Lola?" Sabin stuttered. She looked at him quizzically, and he quickly smiled. "Er, well, it's a beautiful name."

"Oh brother, and you talk of me having no shame." Edgar muttered, and Sabin elbowed him. Hard.

"Hi Lola." Celes said slowly, getting the hint from Sabin. "Pray tell, after you have gotten your mail, would you mind giving us directions to uh...Mobliz? Since you know someone there and all...we're going on a little trip."

"Of course!" Lola smiled. "Please stop on by anytime you like, we'll have tea! My house is the one with the pigeon post in front." With that, she ran off, and Celes immediately spun around to Sabin.

"What!? Why did you look like that when she said her name!?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" Setzer blinked. "I'm willing to bet you know something we don't!"

"I do know something." Sabin said worriedly. "That girl, Lola, said she had a boyfriend in Mobliz, right?"

"Right." Celes nodded. "What's wrong with that?"

"Well, here's the thing- I met her boyfriend, when Cyan and I washed up in Mobliz." Sabin explained. "He was a bed-ridden soldier that was injured in an Empire battle. He told us about this Lola girl, and since he couldn't even pick up a pen, Cyan wrote a letter for him in his name and sent it to her. She lived here at the time, too."

Celes gasped and covered her mouth.

"Oh, of course...and Mobliz is now destroyed...there was definitely no one like that there..."

"And this must be the same Lola." Edgar decided. "I mean, it's too much of a coincidence not to be, you know?"

"I think we should see what is going on." Sabin said. "Because it's very suspicious."

"We're not going to tell her that her boyfriend is dead, are we?" Celes asked worriedly. "That would be too cruel, coming from strangers like us..."

"No, we shouldn't say anything." Sabin said. "Let's just go to her house like she offered...we'll figure out what to do from there."

Celes sighed, looking ahead at the house, where the pigeon had indeed landed on its post, cooing and looking about with it's beady eyes. Why had Celes gotten a feeling about a mere messenger bird? Was there something more to this than just a cruel practical joke? Lola obviously had no idea what was going on.

At Lola's house, as she promised, the Returners were served tea, and while she questioned them about their upcoming "little trip" and gave them directions (Setzer was doing all the talking), Sabin was eyeballing a folded letter on the table, and Celes was not being able to help but gaze at all the beautiful silk flowers that were in the room, in bouquets hanging from the rafters, in vases on the counters and tables, everywhere. Lola noticed Celes staring, and stopped talking to Setzer for a moment.

"Don't you just love these flowers? My boyfriend sent all of these to me! They're all hand-made of silk...since you can't seem to buy real flowers in many places anymore..." She trailed off a moment but then smiled again. "And these are letters he has written me!" She suddenly pushed the letter Sabin was looking at towards him, and went to a jar on the counter, pulling out more and distributing them to Celes, Setzer, and Edgar. They all looked at each other and started pouring over the letters, which all had one very disturbing thing in common. Celes turned to the first letter in her pile again and read it slowly, carefully, investigating every letter.

"My beloved Lola,

We're still busy trying to rebuild this town... If all goes well I'll be able to come home to you soon..."

"There are very nice." Celes managed to say after a few moments of absolute silence. "So...romantic."

Everyone else agreed, and the not so shy Lola took all the letters back and began to fold them again properly.

"I've already written him a reply..." She sighed out happily and handed it to Sabin. "On your way out, would you please attach this to the carrier pigeon?"

**********

"That handwriting!" Celes burst as soon as Sabin had shut the door behind them, and Setzer nodded.

"It's Cyan's. I have no doubt about it. Nobody except him writes with those damn curly letters and such."

"But can we be sure?" Sabin asked, now working on tying the letter from Lola to the pigeon. "I mean, why would he be doing this? Cyan, of all people?"

"There must be a reason for it." Celes protested. "So I say we follow this bird-- and see where it takes us. Wherever it takes the letter, that's where Cyan will be."

"Will we be able to keep up the pace?" Edgar questioned, and Setzer let out a laugh.

"Are you kidding me? Our problem will be going faster than the bird! I told you, The Falcon is the fastest ship in the world!"

"Well, let's go." Celes said concernedly. "Let's get to the bottom of this." As she said that, Sabin released the bird, and it fluttered into the air, letting out a soft cooing noise and taking off. The Returners hurried onto the airship and proceeded to follow it, Setzer at the wheel. Celes, Sabin, and Edgar kept at the point of the ship, watching where the bird was going and shouting directions to Setzer. As they began to approach the mountainside, Celes swallowed back a lump in her throat.

"Uhh...this looks a little too familiar for my tastes..."

"This looks like Zozo..." Edgar trailed off, and they looked around more. The area that was Zozo was literally shrouded in a dark haze, and the only road that led to the city itself was the one the Returners had taken before, from the East. The tall, looming mountains that surrounded the city were darker than ever, giving everyone on The Falcon the warning that Zozo was still a foreboding place as ever. And, of course, the carrier pigeon started to soar downwards, disappearing within the mess of mist and tall, crumbling buildings.

"Setzer!" Celes called. "Let's go down!"

"Can do!" Setzer exclaimed, and with that, took The Falcon down. Once the team disembarked and made it into the city limits of Zozo, Celes took the point of the group and looked around, the high, cold winds whipping her hair back from her face. Glancing over her shoulder, she could have sworn she saw the white, misty image of a ghost, but shook her head. She must have been still spooked from Daryl's tomb.

"I think it's going to rain!" Edgar called over the high, shrieking winds. "Or storm, or something!!!!!"

"I swear, this place has weather that is totally irrelevant to the rest of the world." Sabin said depressedly. "Wasn't it raining the last time we were here?"

"Yeah..." Setzer trailed off, and took another look around, another gust of extreme wind nearly knocking the party off their feet. "But it was different last time...last time it was just a normal storm. There's something different in the air this time. I just can't put my finger on it."

"Mmmm, remember what I said about that ancient storm dragon that was supposedly sealed up here?" Edgar asked. "What if it became...unsealed?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Celes snapped. "There are no such things as dragons."

"Well, if Phunbaba came out of the Earth, than who the hell knows what else might of come to join us." Sabin sighed, and raised a hand to his forehead to look more.

"Brrr..." Celes shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, spitting out the hair flying into her mouth and nearly jumping a foot in the air when Sabin suddenly cried "Look, over there!"

Everyone turned, and saw the little white carrier pigeon, amazingly not being swept away by the winds, as it fought its way through the skies north, past the tallest building in town and into the mountains. Celes moaned and dropped her hands to her side.

"The mountainside? How the hell are we going to get there?"

"There is one way." An unfamiliar voice came from behind the team. With a gasp, Celes whirled around and immediately withdrew Atma from it's sheath, forcing the tip of the glowing blade right in front of the nose of a tall young man, dressed in faded blue and brown merchant's robes, his chin-length black hair whipping around his head violently as another sweep of wind blew. He didn't even flinch, which surprised Celes enough to cause her to drop Atma down to her side.

"Who are you?" Celes demanded.

"That's not really important." The man replied, which irritated her. "You want to go into the mountains? There is one way that is safe enough to consider."

"Hey, if you're planning on pulling something, you'd better get out of our way before trouble comes." Setzer remarked, and with that, Edgar suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Wait a minute! Do you remember when we visited Jidoor all that time ago, the man there said that the only person we could trust in Zozo was dressed as a merchant?!" He looked at the young man, who shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. Setzer had no idea what Edgar was talking about, but the others did, the memories flooding back to them as if it were just yesterday.

"What, did you talk to my friend at the chocobo stables or something?" The man asked.

"Er, yes." Celes said, turning a little red from her hatefulness.

"What on Earth provokes you to live here?" Sabin questioned. "I mean...it's dangerous, we nearly got killed our first night here."

"I'm just a merchant." He replied, and shrugged again. "Not everything has to have a reason, right? Or everyone, for that matter." Sabin nodded, being the only one in the group that would accept something like that as an answer.

"Well, what do you know that can help us?" Celes suddenly burst out, anxious to move on. It was too dangerous to stand in one spot for too long.

"See that building?" The merchant asked, pointing to the tall building the bird had flown behind. "At the top is a secret entrance that the people who once lived in this city ages ago had created to escape into the mountains."

"Why did they need to escape?" Edgar questioned.

"Well, Zozo wasn't always like this." The merchant replied a little bit of sadness in his voice. "It's a story that is not written in any history texts I have read or seen. I'm sure whatever records were kept in this town have long been destroyed. But, long, long ago, before the War of the Magi, Zozo was a peaceful little village, and the people here were skilled in the ways of machinery, much like you are, King Edgar."

"Hey, you recognized me!" Edgar squealed, but everyone ignored him, much to his chagrin.

"But, sadly, during the war, in the chaos, the village was taken over by a gang of thieves and all sorts of no-good types. No one defended the village, and they had no magic or Espers, so they had to surrender. The invaders made the village people slaves, basically, and forced them to teach them all they knew about mechanics and such so that they could prosper in whatever devious schemes they came up with. The natives of Zozo were slowly dying, and along with them the prosperity of the village. It took a while for it to become like this..." He spread his arms to indicate the wasteland they were now in. "But as you can see, there is absolutely no proof here of the world Zozo once was, thanks to those heathens." He took a step forward and looked up at the darkening sky.

"The village people here worshipped a creature known as the Storm Dragon, and prayed to it for help in eliminating the threat. It was in a legend, one long lost to us now, that this Storm Dragon lived deep within the mountains, and whenever danger came upon Zozo, it would beat its mighty wings and drive out the danger with terrible and frightening storms, purging the village and freeing its people, who supposedly had the innate to survive the storms thanks to the dragon's protection over them. But, the dragon did not answer their prayers, and some went to seek it out. A brilliant slave, who was kept in that building, discovered one day a path that delved into Mount Zozo and might lead to the home of the dragon. He erected a secret doorway that he and the other slaves slipped through, so that they could find the dragon and beg it to save them. However, the dragon was never found, and the people of Zozo never returned. The ones in the village all eventually died an agonizing and scornful death as starved and beaten slaves." The merchant stopped and took a deep breath. "Now, the doorway is rusted shut. No one can get through, unless you have this, of course." He reached down in his pocket and pulled out a small spray can, with no label.

"What is this?" Edgar asked, taking it.

"Rust-Rid." He answered. "It will open the door for the first time in...centuries." Celes looked over to the can and back to the merchant.

"Are you sure this will work?"

"I hope so." The merchant suddenly smiled oddly. "I've been working on this solution for a very long time. I want to join up with my friends again."

"...What?" Celes narrowed her eyes when suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, causing everyone to jump and scream. When Celes opened her eyes, she gasped. The merchant had disappeared, in his place a thin, misty fog that suddenly blew away in a gust of wind. She turned to the others, wondering if they had the same thoughts as her. She could tell by the look in everyone's eyes that perhaps they did.

A ghost...of the ancient Zozo village?

**********

After a painful run of stair climbing and lightning bolts, the team came to the top of the building where the mysterious door supposedly was. Celes felt around in the dark, muttering as her fingers brushed over things that she didn't even want to put a picture in her head with. Edgar, reaching down in his pocket, pulled out something small and silver, sort of like a magnifying glass on steroids, with blinking lights and a needle on the top.

"What's that, brother?" Sabin asked.

"It's called a Debilitator." Edgar replied. "A new invention of mine, actually. It finds the weak spots in monsters and displays them to the user."

"Ok...so are we going to use it to fight the evil door?" Setzer asked sarcastically.

"No, it has OTHER uses too." Edgar snapped, and started running the Debilitator up and down the walls. "It can find weaknesses in general. And, last time I checked, rust was a major sign of weakness in metals like the ones this wall is made of."

"Of course..." Celes smiled. "The door was rusted shut, after all. Good call, Edgar."

"Well, I'm not just here to be the looks in the party." Edgar laughed and waggled his finger. "In fact, I...oh, wait!" The Debilitator started going off, making loud beeping noises and blinking rapidly. Edgar than took the rust-rid, starting to spray in the area the device located. A few moments later, there was a spine-chilling creak, and a large chunk of the wall in front of them, flew backwards and landed on the inside floor of the building with a loud crash.

"And, that's your door." Edgar declared triumphantly, kissing his machine and tucking it away.

"Enough boasting, let's just get going already!" Setzer exclaimed. "Let's make like a Zozoian and find ourselves a dragon! Er, I mean, a Cyan!"

"Don't say that!" Celes protested. "If that story was anywhere near true, than this dragon is very very VERY pissed off and trying to make up for the hundreds of years it slacked on its protection duty."

"I thought you didn't believe in dragons?" Setzer grinned, and Celes rolled her eyes.

"Please, let's be adults about this!"

The path of Mount Zozo was surprisingly free of peril and hardly treacherous, well worn as if it had been walked upon very frequently as opposed to centuries ago. The howling wind could be heard from outside, which did make it seem very creepy though. Fat drops of rain dripped upon the Returners when they traveled through tunnels and caves with cracks. The air was, however, surprisingly warm, which made Celes curious. She was about to comment on it, when suddenly, a deep roar came from the chamber ahead of the tunnel they were in. The Returners looked at each other, pale. A gush of warm wind blew in through the tunnel, blowing them all over in a heap on each other. Something that sounded like a scream rang out, and Setzer stood up, pushing his hair out of his face.

"Cyan?" He called nervously, and with that, made his way into the chamber, being swallowed into the darkness. Celes gasped out and climbed to her feet, the others joining her.

"Setzer, get back here!" Celes cried, running in after him. She gasped as she looked up, not believing her eyes and nearly sliding on the rocks beneath her feet. Ahead of them- no, soaring right above them was a huge dragon, a dragon of gigantic proportions...flapping its wings and blowing hot wind in all their faces as it flew in circle after circle after circle. Its scaly, bat-like jet black wings were lined with sharp black claws and it's neck was long and swinging from side to side, allowing the shining yellow eyes on the beast's head to get a full view of the cavern. Every time the dragon turned, its spiked tail would slam into the side of the cavern, breaking off boulders of rock and causing them to tumble deep down into the ravines below. The only thing between the Returners and their next destination, a wide opening in the back of the cavern...

...Was a long and swaying rope bridge, several planks missing. The dragon let out another howl, and suddenly, bright bolts of lightning shot out of the sky like magic, striking the ground where the Returners stood. Everyone jumped and cried out; knowing one little shock would be their last.

"The Storm Dragon!" Sabin cried, his voice lost in the nearly deafening winds. "It's real!"

"We have to destroy it!" Edgar cried in reply. "It's the only way we'll get through alive!"

"But!!!" Celes blinked worriedly and turned to the group. "If we destroy it, we'll destroy Zozo's protector. Wasn't that apart of the legend?"

"The world is different now!" Setzer argued. "Something is wrong...this isn't the dragon that the Zozoians prayed for!" He took her shoulders and squeezed them gently. "Celes, we're in a battle for

our past, just like the Zozoians were. If we lose here, we won't find our friends, and we won't be able to destroy Kefka! That's what you wanted, right? That's what you told me we were going to do! There are some parts of the past we have to let go-- whether we want to or not! That's the sacrifice we're going to have to make, and this is just one of many!"

Celes nodded sadly and gazed up at the dragon. Setzer was right-- he had to have been right. This wasn't the same dragon that had supposedly protected the village, or would bring back it's peace and prosperity. Something had happened in the War of the Magi, something she was sure had something to do with Atma and Phunbaba's existence as well, and it the powers of the Espers had sealed these creatures away, only to have them ravage the Earth once more. She couldn't let her heart be stirred with ghosts of the past. Not now, not anymore, ever. She had promised herself that before, but now was a test of just how elastic that promise was.

"We need a plan!" Celes suddenly barked, and the team looked at her. "We're going to fight fire with fire...or rather, thunder with thunder! We're going to give this guy everything we've got!"

"Oh, I like this plan!" Sabin grinned and suddenly took a leap into the air, a soft aura glowing about him as he cupped his hands and started mouthing the mantra of one of his famous blitzes. "Air Blade!!!!" Blue- ish glowing boomerangs of light suddenly shot out of his cupped hands, gaining intensity from the blowing winds and smashing into the dragon like razor blades. Cuts slashed open all over the beast where the blades struck, and deep green blood began to ooze out, falling in heavy drops as he flew around, like rain. Performing a graceful aerial back flip, Sabin crash landed onto the back of the dragon and followed through with a brutal Suplex attack, having for a few precious moments the power to slam the beast into the wall with his feet, pushing off from its back and landing safely besides Celes on the ground. The beast, shaking its long neck back and forth angrily and flapping its wings even faster, swung its tail out towards the Returners. Celes called upon a Thundaga spell, striking the tail down and paralyzing it stiff.

"Foiled!" She grinned.

As the dragon pulled itself away from the wall and started for a charge towards the Returners, Edgar and Setzer decided it was time to finish it off. Setzer raised his hand, summoning his deck of magical cards to fly into his fingers. Meanwhile, Edgar drew his sword. On the count of three, Edgar charged the dragon, driving the blade of his sword straight through between the dragon's eyes, causing it to scream so loudly that Edgar was nearly blown back. Setzer aimed and projected his cards; all 52 shooting at various parts of the dragon's crippled body, ten of the cards even slicing off an entire wing. With a cry of defeat, the dragon tumbled backwards, flapping its one wing helplessly as it plunged backwards, crashing through the rope bridge and flying into the ravine below, where a mighty, but distant crash could be heard. A few moments later, silence overtook the cavern, and the winds outside died.

"...Is everyone ok?" Celes finally asked, and Edgar dropped his dripping blade, letting out a loud sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I think we're fine." Sabin grinned. "Not bad, not bad at all."

"But our bridge is gone." Setzer sighed. "If we only had The Falcon, we could fly over that pathetic gap!"

"What about the Float spell?" Celes asked, a twinkle in her eye. "Will that work for now?" With that, she folded her hands together, chanting, and in a burst of light on each Returner's back, a small pair of translucent wings appeared, sparkling, and then faded. Setzer laughed as his feet lifted from the ground entirely on their own.

"Amazing, simply amazing!"

Celes nodded a little, a slight smile on her face. "Hmmm-mmm...Terra taught it to me..." Edgar saw her face, and smiled, floating over to her.

"Come on Celes, cheer up. Let's go see where that damned bird went, ok?"

The team effortlessly floated over the gap to the new entryway, and Celes cast Dispel once they were safely on land. They were surprised to see light pouring through the entryway, and cautiously, each stepped through.

The Returners found themselves outside, on a little cliff that was followed by a much safer-looking bridge. However, instead of the skies being ravaged by storms, they were clear and bright blue, dotted with the same white, puffy clouds they had seen on their way to Zozo. Beautiful green grass and blue flowers were in bloom all around. Celes let out a little gasp and spun around, shocked.

"It's like a different world!"

"Everything must of turned back to normal once the dragon died..." Sabin took a few steps forward and let out a small sigh. "But it won't stay this way for long, I'm sure...not with the environment we have now. Soon, everything will choke and die, just like before..."

"We won't let it die!" Edgar declared, raising his fist. "We'll go and destroy Kefka before he has a chance to destroy this. Take a look everyone- we've just won a small taste of what we're fighting for. Remember it!"

"Here here!" Setzer cheered, and Celes gazed up at the sky. She would never let herself forget what surrounded her just now. This would be what she pictured when she drove Atma through Kefka.

The Returners continued across the bridge, and came into another small cavern, one with cracks so wide that it let in small pools of golden sunlight. However, strangely enough, there was a small wooden desk in this cavern, with a few crates and dozens and dozens of silk flower bouquets. On the desk...was an unopened letter, addressed from Lola. A final entryway was across the cavern,

with more sunlight lighting the way. Celes stepped ahead to the entryway, pausing at the edge and staring out silently.

Standing, at the edge of a green cliff, was Cyan. He looked so very much the same from two years ago, still had a stance filled with grace and strength, still wearing his dark blue battle armor from Doma. His hair was maybe a little longer, but still pulled back in that thin ponytail, gently flying in the summer breeze. He looked very pensive right then, taking in the sights before him and letting out a sad sigh, turning, his eyes locked on Celes', and he let out a cry of surprise.

"C....Cyan...." Celes bit down on her lip. She immediately wondered if he still thought of her as a traitor, to both the Empire and the Returners. Cyan, however, did not seem to harbor such thoughts, as he immediately ran over to her, grasping her shoulders in a tight grip.

"Hey, what are they doing?!" Edgar whispered from the shadows of the cavern, and Sabin elbowed him.

"Quiet!!! I think they're finally going to make amends, and we're not going to ruin it!"

"Check this out!" Setzer whispered excitedly, kneeling down. A treasure chest!"

Outside, the sound of a bird chirping could be heard, faintly.

"Hey..." Cyan smiled some. "You're alive." Celes nodded, and smiled back weakly.

"Heh...you said "hey"....guess our bad grammar must be rubbing off on you..."

"I think thou is right." Cyan laughed gently. "I...I am glad to see that you are safe. I worried about you."

"I...was worried too." Celes swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Listen, Cyan, I just wanted to say..."

"I'm sorry." He said, cutting her off. She blinked, and he lowered his hands.

"What? That's my line." Celes pushed her hair back, and Cyan shifted his weight on his other foot.

"Then we must share it." Cyan replied. "I will admit that I was wrong in judging thou...it was immature and dishonorable, and I shall be forevermore embarrassed for doing and saying the things I did." Celes smiled some.

"Well, then I'm sorry for provoking you when I knew it would piss you off." Cyan looked surprised at Celes' colorful word choice, but then again, she hadn't expected much to change with him, not even with two years. It made her smile wider, and finally, burst out laughing. Cyan laughed with her, and shook his head.

"I had just stepped outside to see a miraculous change in the weather here...and imagine my surprise when I saw you! For a moment, I thought you were a ghost!" Celes shivered a little and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Cyan, do not say a word of ghosts, as I have seen more than I care for lately." She looked up at him a little more somberly now. "I'm afraid our reunion may not be as blissful as this weather, once you hear what I have to ask you."

"I already know." Cyan interrupted. "And I am going to come with you."

"What!?" Celes cried, surprised.

"I shall go with you! I shan't leave the world as it is!" Cyan exclaimed. "Myself, I have been mustering up the courage and strength to face Kefka again, for the final time."

"Oh Cyan, this is wonderful!" Celes exclaimed, and Cyan scratched his head.

"But how did you find me?" Suddenly, Sabin, and Edgar stepped out, and in Sabin's hands were a pile of letters. Cyan widened his eyes, first at seeing two more of his comrades, and when his gaze settled upon the letters in Sabin's hands, he gasped and sputtered, turning scarlet red. "W... Wait! Tell me you didn't read my letters...!!"

"Hee hee, these are mushy!" Sabin grinned, and Cyan nearly swooned. He bolted into the cavern, where he met up with Setzer, carrying a bouquet of silk flowers. Celes, Edgar, and Sabin, laughing, followed him in. Cyan grabbed the flowers from Setzer and turned even redder.

"These... They're... um... Merely a diversion of mine..." He stuttered, running about frantically and throwing the bouquets into the crates to hide them.

"Cyan, these flowers are gorgeous!" Celes exclaimed, and Cyan stopped for a moment, glaring at her.

"Mm...m...!? This is an outrage...!" He panted out some from getting overexcited, and then looked at her again. "Seriously?" She laughed and nodded, taking a bouquet and hugging it close to her chest. Sabin held up the letters, and things started to turn serious. Cyan looked over at him, anticipating what was going to come next.

"Cyan, what is up with these letters?" Sabin asked. "We ran into Lola in Maranda, and she told us that her boyfriend had been writing them to her...her boyfriend that you and I both know is dead and long gone!" Cyan sighed and nodded, collapsing down on his desk and looking up to his friends.

"I do owe you all an explanation..." He sighed. "And I know it is not one that will sound worthy upon your ears, but perhaps if you know why I did what I did, you will understand, just a little." He leaned back on the desk some and looked up.

"I learned of that poor girl when I passed through Maranda. When I heard that she sent a letter each day, but never received any replies... Something inside me snapped...I realized she was the girl that the lame soldier wrote to back in Mobliz, and I knew that the young man must of been dead, for there was no other way a letter would not reach her fingers. People in town would write his letters for him, and I even volunteered to once as well...so I knew...I knew it was the end for them." He looked down now towards the ground and shuddered.

"As I wrote to that girl, I realized I was very much like her. I was looking behind... full of despair. We had both lost so much...and my eyes were closed to the potential the future held. And then something changed..." He looked into Sabin's eyes. "My eyes were opened, but despite myself needing to move on, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I did not want to abandon my letters to her...She always sounded so happy in her replies. Thus, I have not left this mountain in quite some time. It is a strange coincidence, however, that I was deciding perhaps today would be the day I wrote my final letter, and then the sun appeared and Lady Celes called my name..."

"Cyan..." Celes trailed off. "I understand what you felt when you wrote to her..." She looked down. "Believe me, I only understand too well."

"We all understand." Sabin offered, and gently patted him on the back. "Cyan, let's write the final letter today, and then go see Lola in Maranda. I think she would appreciate that."

"I believe you are right, Sir Sabin." Cyan hopped off his desk, pulling a piece of paper and a quill and ink out of a drawer. "And, then, I shall rejoin your fight to conquer Kefka!" He began scribbling furiously and passionately on the paper, speaking excitedly as he wrote. "I bumped into Sir Gau in Maranda. He said he had to become stronger if he was to face Kefka. He probably returned to the Veldt." Celes hopped up excitedly.

"The Veldt will be our next destination then!" She exclaimed. "And we already know Gau wants to fight!"

"It's about time we got an easy recruitment!" Sabin sighed. "Chasing around you guys has been getting exhausting!"

**********

Lola lifted her eyes from the page and looked up at Cyan. The house was dark, except for a few sparse candles lit so that she could read. Outside, just moments before, she had heard a low roar, and someone shouted that an airship had landed outside of Maranda. A few minutes later, this man had appeared, and handed a letter to her. After she read it, she didn't know what to think. A part of

her was numb, and another was relieved. She hadn't even made it all the way through before she had to stop. She sighed and looked back down to the table.

"I knew that my boyfriend didn't send these flowers and letters. I just didn't want to admit it. I was lying to myself...But I'm all right now. As I read those letters...the pain I felt in my heart became bearable... I'm sure whoever wrote them suffered greatly... I wish I could meet him..."

Cyan looked up at her and sighed. "Actually...just look to the future...We have a lot of life left to live..."

Lola smiled some and folded the unfinished letter up. "I feel like I have a future now! I'll take your words to my heart... I'll be okay."

As Cyan got up to leave, Lola stood up with him and blinked.

"Sir, what's your name? So that I may remember if I ever want to ask for you?"

"Cyan Garamonde." Cyan replied, and with that, slipped out the door, gently shutting it behind him. Lola nodded to herself, saying the name out loud and then collapsing back in her chair. It had been a very trying day...but what she had said was so very true...she suddenly felt a lot better, knowing that she wasn't deceiving herself any longer. Looking at the letter, she found herself reaching for it and opening it back up, narrowing her eyes to still see, her candlelight dying. Leaning her cheek on her hand, she began to read to herself, softly.

"Dear Lola,

I am writing to beg for your forgiveness. I am guilty of perpetuating a terrible lie...I have only now realized the error of my ways. I hope I can correct a great wrong. Your boyfriend, who you thought was in Mobliz, passed away some time ago. I have been writing in his stead. We humans tend to allow the past to destroy our lives. I implore you not to let this happen. It is time to look forward, to rediscover love, and embrace the beauty of life. You have so much of life left to live...

Cyan Garamonde"

Chapter Thirty-Seven - Wild Child: Gau

"Ahh...ohhh..."

Celes moaned and tossed in her bed, gasping out as if drowning and clutching her blanket tightly. "...Locke..."

Celes was chasing Locke down a long stretch of dirt road, panting out for breath and struggling to keep up. He never looked back once, but she knew he could hear her voice. Crying out louder, Celes pumped her legs harder, when all of a sudden, a tall mountain range loomed ahead of them on the path. When Celes blinked, Locke had reached the base, touching the side of the pale rock and suddenly disappearing. She moaned and finally reached the base herself, pounding her fists around but only feeling the stabbing rock push into her flesh, even cutting her in some places. As blood slowly dripped down from her palms, Celes heard a roar, and looked up.

Bursting out from the middle of the mountain range was a ball of flames, the sound being emitted from it almost that like a...bird. The flame suddenly exploded and let out a loud cry, which echoed throughout the sky and made the ground beneath Celes' feet shake. The flame sprouted two flaming wings, and began to ascend higher and higher into the sky. Celes cried out for it to stop, and collapsed to her knees, exhausted. Moments later, she felt something hot flutter onto her shoulder from the sky. Reaching up, Celes found in her hand Locke's charred bandana, which suddenly burst into ashes between her bloody fingers.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Celes! Wake up!"

Celes shot into a sitting up position and gasped, clutching her sheets to her chest and reaching up with her other hand, touching the bandana on her forehead. Beside her, Setzer was sitting in a chair, looking at her worriedly. Celes moaned and let herself collapse back against the bed, absolutely exhausted and drenched in a cold sweat.

"Setzer..." She moaned, and closed her eyes. "Thank the Gods it was a nightmare..."

"More like a night terror." Setzer corrected, sighing. "You were tossing and turning all night."

"It's morning already?" Celes sighed, and rubbed her eyes.

"Actually, it's three in the morning." Setzer yawned, and Celes gasped.

"Oh God Setzer, I'm so sorry I woke you up."

"It's not a problem." Setzer stood up and pushed his messy hair back. "Do you mind if I go back to my room?"

"No, not at all...good-night."

"Good-night Celes..." Setzer shuffled out of the room, and closed the door behind him. Celes sighed and looked down, her knuckles white from clutching the sheets so hard, and slowly released her fingers. What the hell was that dream? She couldn't imagine anything more morbid than dreaming about someone being burned to death...

"Enough of this, Celes." Celes sighed, and reached up, untying Locke's bandana and depositing it on her nightstand. "Now, go to sleep." She lied back down, and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come. However, a half hour passed, and Celes now no longer felt the least bit sleepy. She shifted her body, kicked off her covers, pulled them back on, and finally let out a huff of disgust, crawling out of bed and padding her way barefoot up the stairs of The Falcon and unlocking the door that led to the deck of the ship.

That evening, the Returners had decided to park in the Veldt, so that they could get an early start in the morning for their search for Gau. Celes' eyes wandered over the yellow-grassed prairie, which was dead silent in the night, and stained with silver moonlight. Tonight was actually warm, comfortable, and Celes wouldn't of minded sleeping out under the stars...that is, if she could sleep at all.

Off in the distance, Celes could see a small cave that she didn't remember seeing the other times she was on the Veldt. Curiosity was coming to her easier than sleep was at the moment, so she decided it was time to do a little spelunking. She ran back down below the deck of The Falcon, and laced up her boots. Creeping down a corridor now, she found a side exit from the ship and leapt down onto the dry Veldt plains, the grass crunching beneath her feet. Feeling at her belt to make sure Atma was at her side, Celes proceeded forward.

"It's so much easier to think when I'm alone." Celes said to herself out loud, looking about the plain scenery around her. And thinking was something she needed to do a lot of. The plan to gather the Returners together again to defeat Kefka was actually starting to go without a hitch. So far, five out of the original twelve (if you counted Shadow) Returners had been safely recovered. However, that number could of been six, if only Terra... Celes hung her head and sighed. Whether Terra knew it or not, she had been the one who had ultimately gathered all of the Returners together in the first place. It was Terra that had endured so much pain and suffering at the hands of the Empire. It was Terra who most deserved to defeat Kefka and bring closure to everything she had been fighting for.

"Terra...I will get you back!" Celes suddenly declared, clutching her fist and looking up at the full moon. "I don't care what you say...I know you still have it in you to fight on! I know you do..." She trailed off and suddenly feeling exhausted, collapsed in the grass and covered her face, heaving a heavy sigh. With or without Terra, there were still so many others to find...how could they possibly do it? Strago, Relm, Mog, Shadow, Locke...all of them probably so far away... And Gau, maybe he wasn't even on the Veldt anymore. Cyan had never been specific on just when it was he saw the

young man. Perhaps Gau had given up and let himself get domesticated, or something equally as unlikely back in the times of the World of Balance.

Celes rubbed her eyes slowly, trying so hard to gather her scattered thoughts. How long had it been since she had awoken on the Solitary Island? A week? Maybe two? What Sabin had said was true...it was hard to keep track of time anymore. It just slipped idly by, like sand between someone's fingers. However, Celes knew that their time was quickly running out. If Kefka knew they were alive, he would surely be making a plan to strike, and even if he didn't, every day that went by was a chance for another town to be decimated, like Mobliz. The Returners were simply gambling on whatever the amount of time they had really was.

Celes reached up and rubbed her forehead in thought, trying to come up with some place, anyplace at all, that a Returner might of come home to after the world was ripped apart...

"Uwaaaaaaaaoooo..."

Celes lifted her head and blinked. What was that noise? She stood up, a little nervous now, and started to head towards the cave, like she originally planned. She wanted to at least see what was in that before whatever had just made that noise came out to eat her. Yes, being eaten would surely not be an honorable way to go.

When she reached the cave, she could feel a soft, comforting warmth flowing out of it, not like that horrible dragon's breath she had encountered earlier today. She held her breath for a moment, listening. Inside, somewhere close...she could hear the crackling of a fire. Stepping in, Celes cupped her hands around her mouth and called out.

"Hello?"

Her voice only echoed back her reply, so she stepped in further, and tried again. This time, a faint reply was heard.

"Who is it?"

Instead of reply, Celes followed the echoes, until she came into an open area, and blinked in surprise. Gathered around a glowing red fire were quite a throng of people, all dressed in dirty, raggedy clothes. Some were sitting up and staring at the fire with dead, empty eyes, and others were sleeping soundly, wrapped up in more clothes or thin, holey blankets. One of them looked up at Celes in surprise.

"Were you the one saying Hello?"

"Yes." She replied, and looked around, suddenly feeling very depressed. "I was exploring, and I found this cave."

"This is our home now." The person replied sadly. She was a thin, short woman, with brown wavy hair pulled back in a ponytail and a gray shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She was also barefoot. "We were chased out of our forest village by a giant beast, almost like...a dragon. Celes paled.

"A dragon?"

"Something like it." She sighed, and the others that were awake murmured in confirmation. "We were forced down here, where Kefka and the dragon cannot find us. We've been here ever since the world...fell apart."

"I see..." Celes trailed off, feeling very uncomfortable now, even a little angry. These were victims of Kefka, just by his presence in the world. She felt terrible that she was not flying to his tower at that very moment and beating the living shit out of him.

"The monsters here on the Veldt have been getting wilder and bigger." A man commented, who was sitting next to the woman. "And since two years ago, other creatures have emerged that have been lying dormant for years. I used to be a scholar at a university in Albrook, and I studied them."

"What?" Celes blinked, a flashback suddenly coming into her mind. She was standing at a counter, in Albrook, listening to two men converse over the contents in a book.

"According to this text, it says: "Eight dragons seal away this awesome beast. Its name is Crusader... Defeat these dragons, and its power will be released!""

"Wow...I wonder if it's the same eight dragons that came about when the world came unzipped? Along with Doom Gaze and Phunbaba...Horrible creatures..."

Celes leaned against the side of the wall, holding her breath. Were they talking about the same thing?

"Do you have a few moments?" The man suddenly asked. "I could tell you about them, if you like. You look interested, and we're on night watch, which can get a little boring." Celes looked at him, and nodded.

"Yes, I'd like to listen." She came over and sat down across from him and the fire, sitting next to a little girl who was curled up in her mother's arms, both asleep. "What do you know about these mystery monsters? And what is Crusader?"

"Well, supposedly, they were created 1000 years ago, during the War of the Magi." The man explained. "To be used as weapons, of course. It is not really known which side of the war created them...but they were so powerful, and so uncontrollable, that both sides agreed, right in the midst of battle, to seal them away forever. So, the three sisters, who brought magic to this land and created

the Espers, sealed away eight dragons, which in turn also sealed away the most powerful Esper that they did create, Crusader."

"What...what is Crusader?" Celes questioned, absolutely fascinated.

"There are no stories that relay accurate information." The man replied. "Some say that Crusader was a fourth sister that had betrayed the others, so they turned her into an Esper war machine. Others say that it was the leader of the human faction who despised all things magic, so as his punishment, he was captured by the sisters and turned into the thing he hated most. It was an Esper so powerful that it needed more than just magic to seal it. Therefore, it was sealed by the eight dragons of the War of the Magi: The Storm Dragon, the Fire Dragon, the Ice Dragon, the Water Dragon, the Earth Dragon, the Holy Dragon, the Death Dragon, and the Illumina Dragon. Each of these beasts, as you can imagine, are the masters of their own elements."

"I see..." Celes trailed off, and bit down on her lip.

"There were two other monsters who emerged from the Earth that were born during the War of the Magi: Phunbaba, the ogre and master of strength of the Earth, and Doom Gaze, the master of the heavens, also known as the flying grim reaper. Doom Gaze can be seen flying about in the sky, and you know he is over you, because the air around you suddenly turns cold and dark, and if you look up and see it's eye, it is said you will die instantly." The woman nodded in agreement, and Celes sighed, resting her cheek against her hand. She wasn't so sure she wanted to hear anymore. Luckily, the man took the hint by the look in her eyes, and looked down at his hands nervously. The ice in Celes' eyes had not melted just yet. The woman spoke up now, trying to take some of the heat off her companion.

"So, General Celes, what brings you here?" She asked, and Celes blinked.

"General Celes? You actually recognized me?" Then she shook her head and sighed. "I mean...it's Ex-General Celes, now. I denounced myself from the Empire a long, long time ago." There was an uncomfortable silence, and Celes actually heard someone cough and quickly shut themselves up.

"For your own reasons, I'm sure." The woman smiled, and Celes smiled back, just a little. She was grateful the woman didn't want to rip open the wound that the Empire had laid on Celes' soul. "But what are you doing here? On the Veldt, I mean? What are you exploring for?"

"Oh...well, I kind of lied before." Celes confessed. "I mean, I was exploring, but I was also kind of searching for someone. And old friend of mine...we became separated long ago, and I heard a rumor he might be here." The woman looked a little upset at this.

"Unless he is one of us, I highly doubt anyone could survive here on the Veldt for too long." She explained. "We hunt for our food in a pack, much like animals..." She shuddered and pulled her shawl tighter around herself. "Because there is no other way to survive. The monsters out here have become vicious and unrelenting when it comes to getting a human meal. Just the other day, we lost

a child that had been foolish enough to wander outside on his own..." She shook her head. "We're not even one hundred percent safe in here...that's why we need guards at all hours of the day."

"Oh..." Celes sighed and pushed her hair back. "Well, do you know anyone named Gau? He's the one I'm looking for."

"No, I'm afraid not dear." The woman shook her head again. "No one by that name here."

"Well..." Celes stood up and brushed off her pants, trying to harden her spirit and summon the strength for the possibility of a failure in their mission to come here. She stood a little straighter and turned to walk out. "Thanks, but I must be getting back." She said it diligently and a little coldly. The old Celes had been awakened so slightly, nudged by the disappointment that always used to plague her.

Near the entrance to the cave, Celes was surprised to see a man sitting, smoking something in a pipe and watching the liquid silver moon. When he turned and saw Celes, he pulled the pipe out of his mouth.

"I heard what you were talking about in there."

"So?" Celes asked a little edgily. "What's it to you? You'd better get inside before some nasty monster comes through and snatches you up."

"Someone needs to have a nap, I see." He smirked, and Celes turned red. Honestly, she was too tired for this crap. She just really wanted to go to bed, and forget about everything she had heard tonight. Part of her even wanted to be back in her bed on the Solitary Island, in her comatose state. The oath she had made to herself just moments before was starting to sound like total bullshit as it echoed in her mind.

"Please, just back off, before I throw you out to the monsters myself." Celes snapped, and prepared to march by. However, the man laughed, getting up and tapping whatever remained in his pipe out into the grass at his feet.

"There is a boy on the Veldt that will only approach a group of three or less people."

"What?" She whirled around, and the man crossed his arms underneath his chest.

"It's true. That's why he's never joined our tribe. We always travel together, remember?"

"Oh shut up, that is really the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I don't know what you've been smoking in that pipe, but you'd better cut some out of your diet." Celes rolled her eyes and with that, headed back for The Falcon. All of a sudden, she just felt drained.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaooooo..."

"Ugh!" Celes screamed, her voice bouncing off the skies as she covered her ears and ran faster. "Go away!!!!!!!!"

**********

The next morning, an exhausted Celes dragged herself out of bed at the first sign of daylight that trickled through her window. She felt like someone had cast Zombie on her, but she knew that not even Holy Water could bring her back from this dead. However, when she reached the dining hall of The Falcon, she was surprised to see it totally abandoned. She expected for sure to see the guys waiting for her, scarfing down everything in sight and making battle plans for Kefka. But, alas, everything was in perfect place, and there wasn't a soul in sight. Coming in closer to the table, however, Celes could see a note scrawled out in Cyan's handsome handwriting.

"Celes-

Went to explore the Veldt a little, since you apparently did so last night. (That is, you weren't very quiet about coming back onto the ship.) Get your rest and wait for us to come back later.

-Cyan

P.S.- Edgar wants to know if he can help you sleep *somehow*."

"...Oh jeeze." Celes crumpled up the note and threw it out. The last thing she wanted was to be babied by a bunch of rogues, but it appeared that that was exactly how this morning was going to play out. Collapsing in a chair, Celes rested her head in her arms and tried to rack her brains. It was killing her just sitting here on the ship, doing absolutely nothing. She felt like every second was a tragic waste. Celes reached up, gently grasping at her long, tangled blonde hair, and gave an angry little tug. She had been playing leader ever since she woke up, and she realized that that was one of the only things keeping her going right now. She decided that she should go after the others, before she drove herself mad on this ship.

Tying her hair up in a ponytail as she made her way to the same port exit she used last night, Celes hopped down from the airship and looked around. During the daytime, the Veldt looked a lot less threatening, but also more like a barren wasteland, without the moonlight to coat it. However, although she could see as clear and far ahead as possible, she saw no sign of the others. They could of been anywhere.

"I'm not going to play some poor tired girl!" Celes declared, putting her hands on her hips as she started forward. "I'm Celes Chere, and..."

"Uwaaaaaaaaaoooo!"

"ACK!"

Thump!

Celes gasped out as she was suddenly struck from behind, the impact of whatever hit her so intense that she immediately went sprawling to the ground. She couldn't catch her fall, so she fell flat on her face, something heavy and warm clutching at her from behind. No mater how hard she struggled, Celes just couldn't seem to get up...and the more she struggled, the more exhausted she got...

"Ahh...help..." Celes groaned and struggled harder, trying to unpin herself from the ground. "Get off, you dirty son of a..."

"Awaao? Miss Celes ish angry?"

"...What?!" Celes gasped, feeling a lowering of resistance from her attacker's end, and finally managed to jerk herself up, throwing it backwards into the grass and rolling over on her backside, panting out for air. Her attacker, rolled up in a defensive ball, eventually untangled itself and kneeled, staring at her intensely. Celes blinked and jutted out an accusing finger, not believing her eyes.

"GAU!"

"CELES! UWAAAAOOO!" Suddenly Gau dove on top of Celes again, clutching her in a big bear hug and nuzzling his head quite awkwardly near her breasts. Celes turned red and tried to pat Gau assuringly.

"Ok, ok, get off Gau...Gau...GAU, GET OFF!" The boy finally managed to peel himself off of her, grinning like a moron and bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Me, Gau! You, friend! We friends together! We travel together!"

"Of course, of course Gau..." Celes laughed half-happily and half- nervously. "Oh boy, I thought you had left the Veldt for good...I'm so glad I was wrong!"

"Gau would never leave Veldt." Gau said thoughtfully. "Gau love the monsters, learn the way of the monsters for survive. Gau learn many new techniques for defeat of Kefka."

"Oh, Gau, that's wonderful!" Celes exclaimed, and this time, she could not help but give him the big bear hug. Gau let out a happy noise and smiled more, hugging her back tightly and looking up. "Uwwaooo, here come others! And Mr. Thou!"

"Celes!" Sabin cried out from the distance, running towards the pair in their embrace. "Is that who I think it is...?"

"Mr. Thou!"

Gau broke away from Celes and galloped over to Sabin and the others on all fours, diving on top of the startled blitzer and throwing him backwards. Cyan, Edgar, and Setzer all just stared in shock, and Celes ran over to them, laughing.

"Celes, how did you find him?!" Edgar asked wondrously. "We looked everywhere!"

"I didn't find him, he found me!" Celes exclaimed. "I was looking for you guys."

"This guy at a cave told us that a wild boy on the Veldt would only approach someone if they were in a group of three or fewer people." Setzer said, putting his hands on his hips. "Do you suppose he was talking about Gau...?"

"You went to the cave?" Celes asked, and Setzer shook his head.

"We didn't go in the cave, just to the outside."

"I went there last night." Celes said, squirming as she felt Gau retreat back to her to hug her leg. "The people in there were driven from their homes in the forest by a giant, dragon-like creature, and they are also now in hiding from Kefka. A man also told me about the monsters that were released into the world when it was ripped open, monsters that dated back from the War of the Magi. There's even a sealed Esper, named Crusader, protected by eight mystical dragons...One of them being the Storm Dragon."

"The Storm Dragon?" Cyan blinked. "The Dragon of Mount Zozo?"

"We had to defeat it to find you." Celes explained. "Something was terribly wrong with it...it was ready to finish us all off in a heartbeat. I think it was definitely one of the eight legendary dragons."

"Dragon in forest not one of legendary dragons." Gau suddenly interrupted, and everyone turned to look at him. Gau stood up and scratched his head. "Dragon in forest just dinosaur. Dinosaur forest now." The Returners all looked at each other, frowning.

What was a dinosaur?

"You no fight now!" Gau cried, jumping up nervously and waving his arms. "Dinosaur too strong...strongest of Dinosaur forest, Brachiosaur! Gau think Returners wait. Wait for more Returners to come. Then kill Brachiosaur, then free village people." Sabin sighed.

"I'm afraid the kid is giving us no choice. We won't be able to help the village people if we become a Brachiosaur dinner. Whatever a Brachiosaur is, that is."

"Secret of Dinosaurs in cave." Gau jumped up again. "Returners learn allllllll about Dinosaurs in cave."

"That cave?" Celes pointed over towards the cave that she had explored the previous night, and Gau nodded. She looked back at the other Returners, who nodded.

"Let's go see what Gau has to show us." Sabin suggested. "I mean, the last time we did, he saved Cyan and myself."

"Ohhh, I love caves." Edgar grinned. "This should actually be fun!"

"I didn't get to see the rest of the cave." Celes said thoughtfully. "So I think it's worth a shot. I mean, who knows what we'll find in there?"

**********

The figure gasped as another fierce slash ripped through his body, causing him to finally cry out and tumble to the rocky floor. A deep roar followed, and pounding footsteps began to ascend upon the fallen man. Barely managing to keep his eyes open, he could make out a blurry mass of matted purple and silver fur, giant ivory horns emerging from the sides of its head , and long, glistening yellow teeth. A warm puddle was forming underneath his side, something sticky and red. As he closed his eyes, a fuzzy image came to him...the image of a quaint little town. At the end of the main road, a tall, young, beautiful girl could be seen, waving and calling out anxiously.

"Clyde..."

"Clyde!"

Chapter Thiry-Eight - Tainted Faith: Shadow

"This is a dinosaur?" Celes asked, pointing to a crude drawing. Gau nodded, and began moving his hands like wild, fluttering birds as he tried to explain. The creature scraped into the wall of the cave had a big head with even bigger teeth sticking out of the sides of its mouth, short arms, and thick hind legs followed by a sweeping tail. She had never seen such a thing in her life, and narrowed her eyes to investigate the other drawings, some of which were similar, and others very different. The light in the cave was extremely dim, and the Returners all had to strain their eyes.

"They almost look like giant lizards." Cyan said. "Their features in these pictures appear to be greatly over-exaggerated though."

"No!" Gau exclaimed. "Teeth larger than Gau's arm!" Cyan and Celes looked at each other. At this point in their adventures, who were they to dictate what was real and not?

"Look at this picture of a person riding one of these." Setzer said, gazing at the wall in front of him. "Maybe back in the day, Dinosaurs were friendly?"

"A lot of bad things have happened since the world came undone." Celes commented dryly. "The behavior patterns of animals and humans alike have undergone a drastic change."

"Imagine what would happen if these creatures came under Kefka's control." Edgar said nervously. "We'd all sort of be screwed over then."

"But didn't you listen to Gau on our way through here?" Sabin interrupted. "He said the Dinosaurs never left the forest. So it's not like they would come out to do anything."

"But they did still drive these people in this cave out of their homes." Celes sighed. "They have nowhere else to go. We really should help them, when we find the others."

"Sure, let's add that to the list." Edgar said sarcastically, pretending to hold up a sheet of paper and check things off. "Find the rest of our friends, who have literally disappeared, convince Terra to join us again, defeat Kefka, and save the world. I think we can squeeze Dinosaur Extermination in there somewhere."

"Shut up!" Celes suddenly hissed, covering Edgar's mouth with her hand. "I thought I heard something!" The others kept quiet, even Gau. There was the sound of a low moan, somewhere off in the distance, followed by a growl.

"Let's go check it out." Setzer whispered.

The Returners slowly crept forward through the tunnels of the cave, but Celes let out a slight curse when she nearly tripped and fell over something on the cave floor. Bending down, she picked it up, trying to investigate the slight gleam that it gave off in the minimal light.

A dagger, of some sort.

Sheathing it in her belt, she got back up to her feet, motioning to the others that she was ok. At that moment, a shadow slithered past in front of the group, revealing an open area that was empty except for the battered body in black sprawled on the ground.

"What the hell is that?!" Edgar demanded, and together they moved towards the body, which turned out to be that of a human. Kneeling down, Sabin brushed back some of the dark hair, and gasped.

"It's Shadow!"

"What?!" Celes gasped and took a look for herself. Yes, there was no doubt. The clothing, the form, it was all the same. However, there was no Interceptor. "Unbelievable! What is he doing in here!?"

"Look at those wounds..." Cyan trailed off, gently peeling back shreds of fabric that had settled over large gashes and scratches. "He got attacked, brutally."

"Here's your crown, Miss Queen of the Obvious." Celes snapped impatiently. Her worry had furrowed into anger that they hadn't been able to save their friend. She worried even more about the fact that they might be too late to do anything at all. Shadow was still breathing-- but his breath was shallow, and labored. Suddenly, Celes felt the hairs on the back of her neck stick up. Something in the air had changed...had gotten heavier and hotter. They were no longer alone.

Whatever had gotten Shadow had come back for them.

The young girl yawned sleepily and nearly fell forward off the staircase she had been sitting upon. She had been waiting all day, it seemed, for this Owzer guy, whoever he was, to get home. She was starving for a good meal, and her dull blonde curly locks were screaming for a thorough washing underneath her beret. This place was her last hope, before she moved on to yet another city to seek out help. There had been a rumor going around that Owzer had been seeking out someone with skill to do a particular painting. When she inquired about it, she was shocked to learn from Owzer's housekeeper that he had, in fact, been searching for her to undertake the task of the painting! What luck! Owzer looked like the richest bastard in this town, and that would mean a nice place for her to stay until she could get back on her feet again and continue her search.

But she wasn't going to get anywhere if she was locked out.

"Relm Arrowny?"

The girl lifted her head, and let out a slight gasp. She could tell by the filmy feeling in her eyes that she had fallen asleep, and by the slightly disgusting crust she always got at the corners of her mouth from drooling. Rubbing her mouth quickly, she looked up, pushing her hair away from her cerulean eyes and narrowing them.

"And just who the hell is asking?"

"GAAAAAAAAH!" Celes shrieked, whirling around just in time to see a heavy purple paw swipe at her head. Falling backwards, she rolled next to Shadow's idle body and felt her head smack against something hard. Edgar had rolled out of the way and lifted his crossbow, letting an arrow fly into the side of their attacker. The beast let out a howl and reached down, grabbing the iron arrow and snapping it in half with his paws, which were studded with gleaming claws.

"It's a Behemoth!" Cyan cried. "This must of been what hurt Shadow!"

"It's not gonna be much of anything once I get through with it!" Sabin snapped, snapping on his own claws. "He's not the only one who can fight like an animal." Celes moaned as she tried to pull herself up, turning pale when she realized she was covered in Shadow's blood from the puddle next to his body. The damp, salty smell was nearly enough to knock her out in itself, not to mention the throbbing pain she felt in the back of her head.

Sabin dove onto the Behemoth, taking a slash at its legs before leaping up and ripping open its throat with one fell swoop. Dark blue blood began to gush out of the creature's neck, and with a snarl, it rolled its eyes back into its head and collapsed to the ground with an earth- shaking crash. Sabin panted out as she watched the creature die, and Celes stood up, shivering slightly and licking her lower lip.

"G....Good job, Sabin...." She reached up and caressed some blood- soaked strands of hair, still too stunned to know what to do next. She felt sickeningly warm.

"Celes!" Setzer cried. "What the hell...?!"

"It's Shadow's blood." Celes gasped. "We...we...must get him to..." She took a deep breath and inhaled more of the scent, moaning out and feeling her head swim. "Ugh...." She collapsed to her hands and knees and saw that her eyesight was fading into soft black. The pain in her head began to throb so deeply, she thought something was trying to burst from her skull. Some of her wet hair fell over her shoulders and brushed her cheeks and lips. The salty taste of blood nearly made her throw up. As she lifted her gaze from the ground, she saw the Behemoth stir, and open its eyes. She couldn't tell if it was her fading vision or not, but the creature no longer had any color to its eyes-- they were just pure white. The blood had ceased draining from his body. Something was terribly wrong.

"Look...look...out...." Celes croaked and suddenly fell forward flat on her face. She heard the others gasp, and Sabin shout something about the creature becoming undead. Someone rolled Celes onto her backside and gently tipped her head back, her eyes rolling up just in time to see Setzer toss a vial with red liquid phoenix down at the Behemoth's head. There was a flash of light, and Celes' world fell black.

The man looked up when he heard the familiar padding of four feet. The dog bounded toward him excitedly, yipping and gently tugging at his bootlaces with his teeth. The man sighed and kneeled down, embracing the dog gently.

"You've come to fetch me..." He sniffled and felt his eyes water. "But I won't be coming back. I want you, and the girl, to live in a peaceful world..." The dog looked up at him sadly, but at the same time, knowingly. The man somehow knew that the dog could understand his pain, and knew, deep inside, that this was truly the right thing to do. If it hadn't have been for him being in town, they wouldn't have found him....wouldn't have attacked the house...wouldn't have killed Katia....

The man stood up, rubbing his eyes and turning away. As he began to walk down the main street that led out of town, he heard the dog follow. Just as he reached the end of town, he looked back, and saw the doorway to the house open. The old man was there, staring at him with a burning hate in his eyes that he could feel as if he were being stabbed with hot pokers. He felt that burning sensation bore deep into him, until suddenly, he couldn't feel a thing at all. As if his insides had suddenly gone numb, the man flicked away his final tear and turned, leaving the village.

Let them all hate him. Let -her- especially hate him, after she realized he was gone. As long as she hated him, she would have no desire to find him.

That was the way it should have been.

"I don't know what came over me." Celes moaned, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm really sorry."

"Well, you did get a pretty nasty bump back here." Edgar said, leaning in and putting his lips a little too close to Celes' ear for comfort. "Shall I kiss it and make it better?"

"Kicking you between the legs would make me feel A LOT better." Celes snapped, and Edgar quickly pulled away. Setzer handed Celes a cup of tea, and she took it gratefully, leaning back in bed. "I'm grateful you guys carried me here, but isn't it a little rude using someone's house when they aren't home and have no idea that you're in it?!"

"Strago surely wouldn't mind." Cyan said, looking over from a bookcase full of the old man's lore literature and Relm's art books. "Although I am sad to say that the inches of dust we found covering everything here goes to prove that our friends have not returned home any time recently..." Celes nodded in sad agreement, and looked over at the bed next to her. Shadow was still lying down, passed out cold. Her gaze suddenly fell on something she could not believe she had not noticed before- the slim gold band around Shadow's finger on his left hand. It was surprisingly dainty and feminine, and so beautiful. Suddenly, Shadow's hand gave a jerk, and he moaned, his eyes shooting open and his bright blue orbs widening as they quickly searched the room.

"Shadow!" Everyone cried, gathering around the bed, including Celes, who managed to pull herself out and pad over in her bare feet.

"Sounds like you were having a nightmare." Celes said softly, and Shadow looked over at her.

"Where am I?"

"Thamasa."

"Huh." Shadow sighed and let out a deep breath. "I can't remember too much..." Cyan opened his mouth, but Shadow raised his hand and interrupted. "...And I don't want to know."

"We should rest here for a while." Edgar said, Sabin stepped up.

"Are you ok, Shadow?"

"No need to worry...it's just a scratch..." Shadow chuckled dryly at his wrapped wounds. "Besides, he's gonna stand guard, so you just relax."

"Who is "he"?" Celes questioned, and the Returners turned to see Interceptor standing in the doorway, wagging his tail eagerly and running over, leaping onto Shadow's bed.

"Interceptor!" Setzer exclaimed. "Welcome back!"

"I guess he was waiting here for you the entire time." Celes smiled. "Although I wonder why he picked here, of all places...."

"Well, we were separated here." Shadow said gruffly, hugging his dog. "Back in that blow out with Kefka."

"Oh, right." Celes nodded and looked to the others. "Well, we know that Shadow is safe and sound..." She trailed off. She didn't think it was appropriate to ask Shadow now how he felt about joining up with the Returners for good. Maybe if he had a few days to heal, and think about his rescue...

"Let's go back to the airship." Setzer suggested. "Shadow, we're coming back to check on you, ok? And we'll bring medicine."

"I don't need no medicine." Shadow snapped. "That Tonic everyone likes to take tastes like shit."

"Well, they make it in bubblegum flavor now." Edgar lectured. "For big boys!"

"Ok, enough harassing Shadow." Sabin said, dragging Edgar away from the bed. "But really, we'll be back really soon, ok? There's a lot of stuff we need to talk about."

"I'm sure there is, if ya'll are all together." Shadow said grimly. "Unless you guys are still hanging together for some sort of bizarre psychological reason."

"Byeeeeeeeee, Shadow-man!" Gau drawled, and bounded out of the room. As if to prove his point, Shadow rolled his eyes and turned over on his side. The rest of the Returners followed Gau outside of Strago's home, and walked back to the airship, which was parked just on the outskirts of Thamasa.

"I'm still feeling kind of out of it." Celes moaned, sitting down at a Blackjack table and rubbing her eyes. "I don't want to go anywhere until Shadow recovers."

"There aren't many places to go, exactly." Setzer said, sitting down across from her. "We had a lead from Cyan about finding Gau, but now we're totally stuck. Tonight, I'm going to install an electronic navigation system into The Falcon, so that we can digitally map the world and figure out where there is and isn't civilization. That should help a bit."

"Sounds good to me." Edgar sighed, slumping down next to Celes. "I hate this feeling...knowing that there isn't much we can do right now."

"We're not ready to fight Kefka yet." Celes said firmly. "And he hasn't attacked any cities lately, so we're still ok. We just need a little time to find the others so that we can all strategize together."

"And if we aren't all together?" Sabin questioned, and Celes looked up at him. She knew that he was talking about Terra.

"...We'll do our best."

That night, before the Returners all settled in to go to bed, Sabin decided that he would go into Thamasa and check on Shadow for the night. When he reached Strago's door, he tried opening it, but was met with a lock.

"Hey!" Sabin cried, and rattled the knob again, to no avail.

"What are you doing?" A man asked behind Sabin. Sabin jumped and turned around, seeing a younger man in a vest and nice pants standing behind him. "I know you don't live there."

"I don't, but my friend was staying here, sick." Sabin explained.

"If you're looking for the man dressed all in black, he said he was going to the Coliseum. A dog was with him, too."

"...You've got to be kidding me."

So, with that, Sabin ran all the way back to The Falcon with the not- so-good news. Setzer had already retired to the engine room to work on the new navigation system, and Celes and Edgar and Gau had gone to bed. Sabin told Cyan, and Cyan sighed, leaning back against his chair.

"Well, at least we have a lead."

"Yeah, for someone we already supposedly found!"

"It's better than nothing."

After explaining the situation to the team the next morning, Setzer put his new system to the test, and after typing in a search request for a Coliseum, one result was returned, for a point that was in the very northern part of the world.

"I didn't even know we had a coliseum." Celes said.

"I once knew a crazy guy that wanted to build a monument to war that lived up north around here." Edgar said. "I have a funny feeling he had something to do with it."

"According to the history feedback I'm getting on this place..." Setzer trailed off and then spoke again, "...The old man that founded the coliseum was so ecstatic about its opening that he told fighters far and wide that he would participate in the first battle ever held, and give a prize to his challenger that was one of a kind."

"So, what happened?" Celes asked.

"Well, the guy died of a heart attack as soon as he stepped into the arena." Setzer said dryly. "So much for that little legacy. Now it's owned by a small group of people that just happened to be there when the death occurred. Apparently, people can go there and bet prizes or money, and if they win their battle, they get even more money or more prizes. Sometimes the battles are set against certain monsters, and at other times you can fight against other people. It seems pretty safe...there has never been a fight to the death except for the case with the old man."

"We should go and try to find Shadow." Celes said worriedly. "He is too weak to be fighting."

"We'll leave right now." Setzer said, punching in some coordinates. "All I have to do is tell the ship where we're going, and...." Suddenly the ship lurched forward, causing everyone to go flying on their faces and clinging on for dear life. "....HERE WE GO!"

The Coliseum was a huge, pale, marble building, decorated with beautiful Ionic and Corinthian columns that lined along the front porch and protected the rich and tall oak doors that stood front and center. As the team entered, they were more than a little shocked to see a familiar face working at the receptionist desk-- none other than the annoying bastard himself, Ultros. However, Ultros didn't even notice the team as they walked by, as he was busy typing something up with one tentacle, and talking on some sort of remote with another. The team climbed up some more stairs to get to the main part of the arena. They climbed to an open area, which had different doorways going off on each side with signs over them, such as one for the local Inn and another couple that

indicated training rooms. In the back center were two more sets of double doors that led into the main arena, where the battles took place. It was guarded by a man dressed in scarlet. A counter on the side was taking and distributing bets, and wide screens hanging in different corners that were similar to the screen Setzer now had for his navigation system were displaying the different parts of the arena, where battles were taking place. A few stragglers were just pacing around in the main hall, one of them an Imperial Soldier.

"How are we going to find Shadow?" Cyan complained, and Gau bounced up and down, excited at all the different people.

"I'm not sure." Celes admitted, and walked up to the scarlet guard, hoping he could help them. "Excuse me sir, but..."

"Oh!" The guard exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "You have the Striker!"

"..." Celes stared at him blankly. "What?!"

"The Striker." The guard smiled, and pulled open one of the doors behind him. "This guy in here has been refusing to fight anyone without it, and finally, along comes someone, and a pretty gal, no less! I'm sure he'll go easy on you cause you're so gorgeous, but he is here to win, you know."

"No, wait, I don't know what you are talking about!" Celes cried, but she was suddenly given a push forward, and stumbled into the arena. She heard the others calling her name in confusion as the door was slammed behind her, and when she looked up, she could see a formidable crowd of people in the stands, mostly standing and cheering as she saw who was entering the arena across from her. She felt relief wash over her when she saw who it was.

"Shadow!"

Shadow looked up from the ground and blinked, stopping a few feet in front of Celes and staring at her blankly.

"Uh...Celes...what are you doing here?"

"We came to look for you." Celes said, ignoring the boos of the crowd when they realized they were probably not going to get a fight. "But when I came to ask the guy out there for help, he pushed me in here saying I had some thing called the Striker."

"The Striker is a dagger I've been searching for." Shadow explained. "I thought the easiest way to find it was to put in word here that I would challenge someone for it. Fighting is the only thing I know how to do. I had found it a few weeks ago, and became very attached to it...but I'm afraid I lost it in one of the many caves I had been spelunking, so..."

"Is this it?" Celes blinked, reaching down to her belt and pulling out the dagger she had found in the dinosaur cave on the Veldt.

"...It is." Shadow said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But I will not fight you for it. I respect you as an ally, of sorts. Besides that, I know you are one hell of a soldier."

"I don't want to fight you either." Celes explained. "But Shadow, if you are up to doing some real fighting, why don't you join us? We're going to gather everyone together again and fight Kefka, and finish him off, once and for all."

Shadow sighed and looked down.

"Please." Celes said. "We do need your help, whether you want to believe it or not. Besides that...I will gladly give this back to you. It was yours, after all, and I have a weapon of my own." With that, Celes withdrew Atma Weapon, which was shining brighter and stronger than ever. Shadow looked up at the blade with intrigued eyes.

"It seems to me that with the power you have now, you do not need my assistance." He said dully. "However...There are some amends I need to make." Although Celes had no idea what he was talking about, she had a feeling that it was the closest to "Yes" she was going to get.

"So you'll come with us?"

Shadow walked by her silently, pulled open the doors of the arena, and stepped out. Celes blinked, sheathing Atma Weapon, and followed him outside. She watched him walk up to the group of Returners, and extend his hand. Sabin, smiling, turned to him, and took his hand firmly.

They shook.

FF6 The Novel Trivia: As of the end of this chapter, FF6 The Novel is exactly 444 pages, written in 12 Times New Roman font.

....Holy shit.

-Angie

Chapter Thirty-Nine - Dreaming Youth: Relm Arrowny

For the time being, the Returners decided to park The Falcon in a small clearing north of the mountains Narshe was still presumed to be settled within. When Sabin stared out from the upper deck, he could see a small wood in the distance. The others, even Shadow, were all below deck with Setzer, trying to put the new navigator into further use and plot out the locations of cities that they had not yet traveled to, in hopes of finding the others.

However, the excitement of the day, despite it not being much, had gotten to Sabin terribly. His temples were throbbing from a headache, and he felt sort of heavy and hot in a way that was just enough to make him squirmy and uncomfortable in his own skin. He had also not been sleeping well for the past few nights, and although he knew Celes had been plagued with nightmares night after night, he did not want to admit the same. The dreams he had been having were almost too real, and he was almost afraid that saying them aloud would make them prophecies of untold horrors to befall them. He knew Celes was already afraid of that being the case for her own dreams- he didn't want to worry her any further.

In his dreams, Sabin would be climbing a tall tower that seemed endless...he knew what he was climbing towards-- it was Kefka, in all his glory, who was atop the tower, laughing loud enough to pierce Sabin's ears. Sabin could hear the others grunting and struggling behind him, but when he turned towards the top, he could also make out a shape in front of him, as well. Suddenly, a burst of thunder exploded, and Kefka's maddening laugh grew louder. Sabin heard a crash, and debris began to rain from the sky above him as he saw the shadow grow closer and closer, falling at an alarming speed. When Sabin reached out to grab the shadow, just for those few seconds, everything seemed to go in slow motion. His aqua blue eyes suddenly met another pair that were identical in every way-- it was just like staring into a mirror. Sabin saw the twist of pain and surprise locked onto his twin's features, and his pale lips part to call out his name silently...and time would catch up again, and Edgar would go plunging down from Sabin's sight in a blur of golden locks and a navy cape.

"EDGAR!!!!!!!"

"Edgar!!!!"

"...Edgar...!!!"

".....Edgar...."

Sabin gasped, and opened his eyes. He hadn't fallen asleep, but the sound of his own voice screaming his brother's name echoed across the horizon and shook him awake from his daydream. Surprisingly, no one ran up from below deck to see what was up. They probably couldn't hear him. In fact, Sabin felt pretty invisible at that moment.

"...I need to meditate." Sabin finally concluded out loud, and wiped his forehead. "And what more perfect place to do it than the woods?" Sabin smiled a little as he began to descend from the ship,

remembering the days when he was still the Prince of Figaro with his brother, and he had his own tree house fort in the woods southwest of Figaro Castle. He remembered being able to spend hours upon hours in it, sitting in a relaxing pose and clearing his mind of all the petty thoughts that distracted him. Meanwhile, Edgar would go around the court and hand out roses in exchange for dates.

When Sabin entered the forest, he let out a relaxed sigh, the scent of pine needles and the slightly cooler northern air drowning his senses. Despite the shabby shape the world was in, this forest had pulled through in an almost miraculous way. The grass below Sabin's feet was a healthier shade than most of the grass he had seen around, and a rabbit even hopped across his path a few feet in front of him. Of course, it helped that the trees in the forest were evergreens, giving it much more green-life, but Sabin still appreciated the strength of nature in this little region.

Walking forward down the dusty path, Sabin already began to feel more mellow and relaxed. Instead of feeling sweaty and heavy, he actually felt lighter, almost ethereal. In fact, he was too busy marveling at his lightness to notice that the path he had been on had led right up to a little cottage-- and smoke was coming from its chimney. Finally stopping right when his nose was about to touch the door, Sabin let out a slight gasp and looked up. Yes, it was a cottage all right, and one that looked remarkably well kept. Suddenly, the door swung open, and Sabin screamed out, taking a few steps back. He was staring at a most familiar and perplexing face.

"DUNCAN!"

"Ha ha ha!!!" Duncan laughed, and pushed back his long, gray hair. "Why the surprised face, Sabin? Didja think I had...?" Sabin blinked, and ran his fingers through the spikes in his hair. At this point, he didn't quite know what to think. He had sworn that the chapter of his life involving his old master Duncan was complete after defeating Vargas back on the Sabil Mountains. Yes, he was positive this was a joke. His old master had been slain, brutally, by his own son. At no point in time after Vargas' claim had Duncan resurfaced. This was a crazy joke.

"Duncan..." Sabin babbled, his tongue suddenly feeling like it was taking up his whole mouth. "I'm so glad you're safe..." He sniffled, and felt hot tears running down his cheeks, before he could even stop himself. Duncan laughed and shook his head, but then took a better look at Sabin and gasped.

"Whoa, Sabin! This can't be...tears!???" Sabin just sniffled and nodded, and Duncan lifted a finger in a joke reprimand.

"Ha ha ha...nothing happened to me! The Earth yawned right open to take me, but I scrambled away to safety!" Sabin was too busy sobbing to notice the discrepancy in his master's explanations, but he soon found Duncan shaking his shoulders and glaring up at him.

"Sabin!!! It is now time to finish your training, as a Blitz Master. Use these new skills to smash Kefka!"

"Huh...?" Sabin blinked, and suddenly, Duncan became a blur.

Sailing left. Flying right. Up, down, up again. He could even swear he saw Duncan on the roof, at one point. His kicks were fierce and precise, and his fists were flying in perfect unison. Sabin felt his eyes begin to get heavy, and his head lighter and lighter, until the world began spinning around him. He felt his knees buckle underneath him.

"..Duncan...!?"

"I call this "The Bum Rush", Sabin...now go, and give Kefka the boot!"

"Sabin??"

"SABIN!"

"...Sabin?!"

"Uhh..." Sabin let out a soft moan, and opened his eyes. He was lying flat on his back in some cool grass, and the sky above him was pitch- black. His body felt sore all over, and now his head was pounding harder than ever. Pushing himself up just a bit, he moaned again, reaching up and wiping the sweat from his forehead. What had just happened here? He remembered training with.... With...oh, of course! Duncan!

"Duncan!" Sabin gasped and sat up all the way, looking around. It was just like Duncan to abandon him after a tough workout, and let him fend for himself and get home. He was always like that.

"Sabin!" Someone gasped and suddenly ran over, kneeling down. It was Celes.

"Celes!" Sabin exclaimed. "What's going on?"

"What's going on!?" Celes cried, narrowing her eyes. "You disappeared, you dirty son-of-a...." She stopped and reached up, gasping out when her fingers touched Sabin's forehead. "Sabin! I thought you looked flushed, but you're burning up!"

"Burning up?" Sabin blinked and reached up as well. "Mmm...Well I am kind of warm..."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Celes looked taken aback. "You're on fire!"

"Well never mind that!" Sabin cried, taking Celes' hands in his own. "Celes, you won't believe what happened! Duncan is here! Duncan is alive!"

"...Duncan...?" Edgar suddenly appeared through some trees, and walked over to the pair. "Duncan, your master that Vargas..."

"Yes, he's alive!" Sabin exclaimed. "I was training with him before...he lives in that cottage over there...." Sabin reached up and pointed, and Celes and Edgar turned to look. Indeed, ahead of them, was a cottage. But, it looked old, falling apart, hardly habitable. Celes and Edgar looked at each other, and then at Sabin.

"He lives in there?"

"That's where he came out of."

Celes walked over to the cottage, and in one motion, pushed open the door. Looking inside, she quickly came to the conclusion she had came up with before. Turning her back to the cottage, she looked back over to Edgar.

"Edgar, he's burning with a fever...we must get him back to the ship."

Edgar kneeled down, felt Sabin's forehead, and gasped.

"Sabin, you're really sick...oh gods, we're going to have to take him to a doctor."

"Help him up then!" Celes said. "Jidoor is the home of several doctors...at least it used to be. We can try there!"

"Huh..? What's going on, you guys...?" Sabin began to feel dizzy again, and closed his eyes. He felt someone lifting him up from under his arms and after that...

...Everything, once again, became a blur.

"...Should be back to normal in a few days at the most..."

"..."

"...Drink plenty of liquids..."

A few moments later, Sabin heard footsteps, and the shutting of a door. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was in a bland room with little decoration save for the rustic portrait of flowers hanging from the wall beside his bed. Celes, Edgar, and now Setzer were in the room, talking quietly among themselves.

"Hey, what's going on?" Sabin asked, and the others turned towards him.

"Sabin!" Edgar exclaimed. "You're awake? How do you feel?"

"I feel ok...a little tired." Sabin said, and rubbed his forehead, putting on an innocent smile. "I can't remember anything though...where are we?"

"We're in Jidoor." Celes replied, pushing her hair behind her ear. "We found you in the forest north of Narshe, collapsed. You had a fever."

"Huh..." Sabin shook his head. "That's weird...I don't remember that at all."

"Well, it's a wonder you're the way you are now." Setzer lectured, surprisingly taking on the tone of a father-like figure. "You've got to watch out for your health, ya know? We can't really afford to take the time for a burial right now."

"Ha ha, yes, I get it." Sabin smiled some. "Thanks for taking care of me, you guys."

"You're welcome." Celes smiled warmly. Well, what was warm for her, at any rate. "But when we arrived here, we heard an interesting rumor."

"What's that?" Sabin questioned.

"Turns out that rich Owzer guy has been missing for a few days now." Celes said, putting her hand on her hip. "The locals here said he disappeared after buying this rare rock from the auction house. Also, a girl that arrived here all mysterious-like looking for him disappeared that day too."

"It sounds questionable." Sabin said pensively. "Kind of sounds like..."

"A murder!" Setzer exclaimed, waving his finger in the air.

"We don't know that for sure!" Edgar snapped. "...But I'm itching to find out what happened."

"It could be one of our enemies at work." Celes said, reaching up and resting her cheek against her hand. "Between dragons and demons and dinosaurs..."

"Hee hee, the triple-Ds!" Edgar chortled. "Now those, my friends, are rare." Celes turned red and walloped Edgar on the back of his head. Setzer looked as if he didn't know what they were talking about, which was probably best for him.

"What are you going to do about it?" Sabin asked.

"Well, break into Owzer's mansion and find out, of course." Celes replied casually.

"Oh, of course, why didn't I think of that?" Sabin said, a little sarcastically.

"We've got nothing better to do until you recover!" Setzer declared, and Sabin turned red.

"Gee...thanks."

"So you hang out here, and we'll be back in a bit, ok?" Edgar asked, and gave a wave before Sabin could protest. With that, the three left, and Sabin sighed, leaning back in bed. He wasn't worried for his friends, but there was something else on his mind.

"Duncan..." Sabin tilted his head back and stared up at the ceiling. "May the Gods forgive me for lying to my friends, but I did not forget everything that happened...Were you real? Or was it a hallucination from my fever...?"

His mind flashed back to the blur that was the Bum Rush, and he decided that when the time came for him to test his new skill, only then would he know the truth.

"I can't see a thing in here!" Edgar said.

"We'll have to find lights somewhere..." Celes trailed off. Spotting (just barely) a staircase in front of her, she began to ascend it to see if she could find any lamp switch. However, when she reached the top, she felt a freezing cold wind blow over her, and a horrid voice whisper:

"Stay.... Away..."

With a cry, Celes suddenly felt herself get pushed backwards, tumbling down the stairs before she could catch herself and landing with a sickening thump on the floor.

"Celes!" Edgar and Setzer cried, running over to her limp form. Celes moaned, and slowly sat up, rubbing the back of her head.

"Oww..."

"Are you ok?!" Setzer quickly asked.

"I'm fine..." Celes moaned. "Just a few bruises, I imagine...lucky for me I survived that fall though...one wrong turn, and I could have snapped my neck."

"I heard something before you fell." Edgar said worriedly. "A voice!"

"I heard it too." Celes and Setzer said in unison, and stared at each other. The group all let out a cry when another "thump!" rang out, and dust flew out from a table. Looking over, Celes could see that where there had been nothing before, there was now a thick, red, leather-bound book. She shivered.

"This place is haunted."

"I think the word you're looking for might be... "possessed." Edgar corrected her, and stood up, going over to the book. Flipping it open, he narrowed his eyes, and began to read. From the sounds of the entries within it, it sounded like a diary.

"Just spent an absolute fortune. It's my largest painting yet, so I won't be able to put it with the others. I'll decide later where to display it."

"An artist came from Zozo today. He wanted me to see his work. What a waste of time."

"Bought a new stairway lamp at the Item Shop. Expensive, but one flip of the switch and everything's bright and cheery.""I invited over an artist from Kohlingen. About as talented as a bucket..."

"Something's happening to me. It started when I had that picture painted... And I've started hearing odd noises coming from downstairs."

Edgar looked up.

"This is where the diary ends."

"Did you hear that though?!" Setzer exclaimed.

"Yeah, the light switch is on a new lamp somewhere!" Edgar replied.

"No, you idiot!" Setzer snapped. "I mean about the odd noises and the downstairs thing! Obviously, something is going on downstairs!"

"Click."

The room suddenly filled with beautiful, soft light, at the flick of the switch Celes hit with her finger on the far side of the room. Taking a deep breath, she began to ascend the stairs, again. This time, however, she made it to the top, unscathed.

"It seems that whatever was here before is gone now." Celes said. "I think someone put that diary there to help us."

"Someone? Like...a ghost?" Edgar gulped.

"Maybe." Celes said, and Edgar turned pale.

"I thought you might have been kidding."

"Just get your ass up here so that we can investigate!"

The others joined her upstairs, which was a gallery of sorts. Hanging everywhere were beautiful framed portraits of all sorts of things, from treasure chests to...buckets. Celes widened her eyes in surprise when she came upon a very life-like portrait of Emperor Gestahl, and for a moment, felt a sense of saddened nostalgia. Although a traitor herself, she did feel a pang of sorrow for the old

man, who had single handedly raised herself, Leo, and Kefka, only to be stabbed to death by the clown and thrown over the floating continent. Celes knew that this was the only trace of Gestahl left in the world.

"Celes, what are you looking at?" The others came up behind her, and she sighed a little.

"Look, it's Gestahl..."

"...Pity." Edgar snorted, and immediately turned away, walking towards another painting.

"I can't help but feel a little sorry for him." Celes said, and Setzer nodded.

"Yes, I can't help it myself."

He patted her shoulder and left to join Edgar, but Celes thought there was still something peculiar about the painting that grabbed her attention. She then realized that the colors at the bottom corner of the picture were actually lighter than the rest. Reaching down, Celes cautiously took the corner of the painting, and pulled up. The paper instantly freed itself without any resistance, and Celes found in her hands a large chunk of the emperor's portrait. Underneath it, the paint now matched perfectly.

Flipping the false piece over that she had peeled off, Celes was shocked to find handwriting- and not just any writing, but Gestahl's himself! However, it was tiny, and looked like it was written in a hurry. Celes found that she could just barely make it out.

"The treasure is hidden where the mountains form a star..."

"...What?!" She exclaimed to herself, but was answered with a screaming "AHHHHHH!" Whirling around, Celes saw that the painting Edgar and Setzer had been investigating, one of flowers had come to life, and had the two men wrapped up in long, sprawling vines. Shoving the piece of paper in her pocket, Celes raised her opposite hand and screamed:

"FIRAGA!"

Instantly, the vines became engulfed in flames, and disintegrated into little piles of ash. Edgar and Setzer fell to the ground, escaping with nothing but sore bottoms.

"You guys ok?" Celes asked, and they nodded.

"Yeah...But now I really do think this place is haunted." Edgar whined.

"And there is no downstairs." Setzer said. "We both looked, and nothing is up here but paintings. That diary is a LIAR!"

"Well obviously there has to be a downstairs." Celes snapped, taking a quick glance around herself. "Why would Owzer write about it unless...." She stopped and looked at the far end of the gallery. A beautiful, if not curvaceous woman was gazing at Celes from a painting, her hair wrapped up in an elegant ponytail and a skimpy Chinese gown clinging to her body, a delicate cigarette dangling from her fingers. She held a smirk on her face, and suddenly gave a wink to Celes.

"That painting is alive too!" Celes cried, and pointed. The girl's face suddenly twisted into a snarl, and her eyes began to glow. Running towards the painting, Celes withdrew Atma, but was stopped when the girl suddenly lunged out and kicked Celes in the jaw with her pointy high heel, sending her flying back. As Setzer and Edgar ran towards her, Celes growled and stood up, brushing herself off and dashing again towards the painting, which was starting to pull itself out of the frame and gain a three-dimensional form. Celes gave a quick kick to one of the girl's extended legs, and she howled in pain, withdrawing it and clawing at Celes from the painting. Celes easily caught hold of one of the girl's hands, grabbing the lit cigarette and sneering.

"Didn't anyone tell you that smoking is bad for you?"

With that, she shoved the burning end of the cigarette right into the girl's forehead, causing her to howl and claw more frantically until she slowly faded away into nothing but a thin trail of smoke emitting from the empty picture. Celes took a deep breath and backed off, rubbing her bruised jaw and stamping the cigarette out with her foot.

"That..." Edgar panted out as he reached Celes. "Was THE hottest thing I have ever seen. Please, will you do that to girls in my palace? In your bathing suit?"

"You want to be next?" Celes demanded, and Edgar backed off. As she spoke, a cool wind suddenly hit the Returners, and Celes realized that it was coming from right in front of them. Sticking her head through the darkened frame, Celes realized that they had just come upon a whole different room.

"I think we just found our downstairs." Celes said, and with that, carefully stepped through the painting. When she was completely immersed in the dark room, she took another step, only to realize nothing was underneath her feet. Before she could warn Edgar and Setzer, they had stepped in too, shoving her forward and causing her to tumble down as she let out a distressed cry.

Celes landed with a bang on a cold, hard floor, and looked up, seeing two other forms come towards her. Edgar and Setzer landed perfectly on their feet, and Celes glared at them as she pulled herself up.

"Thanks for the shove."

"Well if you would of looked a little harder..." Edgar grimaced, "You would have seen the ladder against the wall there for us to climb down upon. You scared the shit out of us when you fell forward!"

"Hey, I didn't tell you to jump down after me." Celes said. "Now...if you would like to continue..."

She started to lead the group down the dark hall, which was the only way they could go. The room was totally set in darkness, and when she finally did find a door, it only led to another hall, and another, and another. Finally, the group burst into what looked like a bigger room, with a most disturbing sight...floating treasure chests, and a portrait of Maria the Opera singer that literally followed them wherever they went.

"Just...don't go under the treasure..." Celes whispered. "I have a feeling it would not hesitate to drop down on our heads."

"Your twin is watching you, Celes!" Setzer squealed, and Celes shivered.

"Please, don't say that! This place has been enough for my creep quotient for the day."

"Here's another door." Edgar said, rushing ahead of the group and pulling it open. "Let's hurry up!" The group quickly followed him and rushed through the door, slamming it behind them. However, to their shock, they found themselves in a brightly-lit room, filled with bookcases and lamps and in particular, a huge canvas hanging on the wall that was nearly finished. In it, a beautiful woman wrapped in mere silky white robes was cradling a basket of shining stars, the glow reflecting in her crystal blue eyes and silky blonde hair. Near the corner of the panting, a girl was going at it with her paintbrush, and a familiar man was standing in the corner, a mix of terror and awe on his face as he watched.

"Owzer!" Celes snapped, and he turned around, gasping when he saw the Maria look-a-like, and her would-of-been kidnapper, Setzer. The girl turned around also, letting out a slightly surprised sound.

"Relm!" Edgar blinked. "What are YOU doing here?"

"I should ask the same of you!" Relm snapped, and set down her paintbrush. "When the hell were you goin' to look me up, eh? Took me for dead, didja?!"

"No, not exactly..." Celes started. "Um, it's a long story..."

"What I would like to know," Setzer interrupted, parting his arms to get everyone's attention, "is what the hell is wrong with this place? I mean, really. What the hell?"

"It's the painting." Owzer suddenly replied, and Setzer turned to him.

"What?"

"You must help this painting!" Owzer cried. "There is a monster of some sort hiding in it...trying to possess my prized Goddess within!"

"Why haven't you killed it?" Celes cried. "Its spirit has overtaken the whole house!"

"Relm and I have been trapped in here for days and days." Owzer explained. "Probably so that we couldn't get help. Every time one of us would try to exit, a cold wind would bind us and throw us back!"

"...Sounds familiar..." Celes mused.

"And then the demon threatened us!" Relm exclaimed. "He said that if we didn't finish the painting of Starlet, the Goddess..." She shivered. "Now, normally, I don't believe in that badass act shit, but he gave us a little show with some of those bookcases, and I didn't want us to be next." She pointed, and sure enough, over in a corner of the room, the Returners spotted quite a few damaged and mangled bookcases, with book pages and parts scattered everywhere.

"We haven't been able to get it to show as of late..." Owzer whimpered. "Otherwise, we would have tried to exorcise it..."

"Well I know how to get it to show!" Edgar declared, and took his sword. Marching up to the painting, he was about to take a swipe, when it suddenly flashed and blew both him and Relm backward into some of the bookcases.

"AHHHH!" Relm shrieked, and a deep voice boomed out.

"Who're these...these numbskulls....? No one...I mean NO ONE....is going to remove me from this fine, exquisite painting..."

At once, a dark, black skulled and skinned creature emerged from the painting, cackling madly and pointing a long, bony finger at Relm.

"You will have to find me someone else to finish my beautiful goddess...this girl will be MINE for your insolence!" His eyes began to glow ruby red, and Relm pulled herself up from the fallen books, sliding up her sleeves and glaring.

"Now listen here, you son-of-a bitch! No one...and I mean NO ONE threatens Relm Arrowny! I was gonna be nice before and finish your painting before I kicked your ass...but it looks like my friends here now want to just go ahead and finish up the job!"

"Um, Relm..." Edgar whispered. "We never said we would fight the demon."

"Um, Edgar..." Relm grabbed his ear and hissed inside it. "I think you have no choice." She turned back to the painting, and put her hands on her hips. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I am Chadarnook..." The painting demon growled. "And the girl in the picture is mine! You cannot have her!"

"HOLY!" Celes cried, her secretly conjured spell bursting to life as the pure white pearls and beams of light struck the demon. Edgar took hold of his sword once more and ran in, striking Chadarnook while he was blinded by Celes' spell, and Setzer took the offensive with a toss of razor-sharp cards that cut through the demon like a knife in butter. Relm even helped out, dashing through the "battlefield" and giving Chadarnook a hard stab between the eyes with her paintbrush.

Before the creature could have a chance to counter-attack, Celes, Edgar, and Setzer gave it a final strike with the help of three summoned Espers, who loudly burst upon the battle and worked their magic against the demon. When the Espers had faded away, the demon burst into red and white light, black blood splashing against the walls and bookcases as it howled and faded away. Owzer looked as if he was about to faint, but Relm, Celes, Edgar, and Setzer began to jump up and down cheering.

"Relax old man, the monster croaked!" Relm exclaimed, hopping over to Owzer and slapping him on the back. He jumped a little but smiled, hugging the girl much to her surprise.

"Thanks for saving the day!" Owzer smiled. "That picture is more precious to me than my own life!" Relm made a face.

"What are you talking about?! A picture shouldn't be more precious than one's life..." She snorted and tossed back her curls. "Whatever."

"Now what was a monster doing in your painting?" Celes demanded, and Owzer sighed a little.

"It all started when I bought a stone at the Auction House. I took one look at it and suddenly felt I needed a portrait of Starlet, the goddess. I asked several artists, but none could muster enough skill. It was then that I heard about Relm's amazing ability. I brought her here, and put her to work. But while she was painting, that thing came along... It must have been enticed here by that stone."

"What stone?" Setzer asked, and Owzer pointed towards another bookcase.

"Over there, on that shelf."

Setzer, Celes, and Edgar walked over to the stone, and Relm came up from behind, whispering in their ears what they observed as son as they saw it.

"Magicite..."

"I'll have you know, I don't need any more bad luck, so you can just take it and go." Owzer said, wiping his forehead and groaning. "What a mess...What gets black blood out? Does anyone know?"

"Sure, we'll take it." Celes smiled slyly, and slipped the stone into her pocket, beside the mysterious letter from the Emperor. Relm walked back over to Owzer, and before she let herself change her mind, she gave him a tight hug.

"I'm afraid I have to go for now." Relm looked deeply serious, for a few brief seconds. "But fear not...I'll be back to finish this painting!" Owzer looked a little upset, but also understanding at the same time. He didn't seem to truly know what was going on, but at least he was bright enough to know it was important.

"It's ok, Relm. I'll be waiting for you! My home is open to you guys whenever you'd like to come and visit!" The Returners all turned and looked at each other, with pale faces.

"Uh...thanks..." Edgar laughed nervously. "We appreciate it."

Chapter Forty - Mystical Spirit: Strago Magus

August slowly waned into the month of September. And even though it was early in the new month, the temperatures started to make a descent, and hot summer nights faded into cool autumn evenings. Celes was standing at the edge of the airship, her eyes closed as the wind gently blew against her body and fluttered her soft white cape. How long had it been since she had awoken on the Solitary Island? She had completely lost track of time since then, but it made her doubt all the more that Locke was waiting for her somewhere out there. Yes...it had been a while since she had let a thought cross her mind about him too, although that had been what she wanted, right?

"Celes!" Celes blinked and turned around, where she saw Relm waiting for her, tapping her foot lightly.

"What?" Celes asked, pulling her cape up more.

"I was calling your name, and you weren't listening." Relm said impatiently, and Celes sighed.

"I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind."

"I...I know." Relm said gently, much to Celes' surprise. "I can sort of understand what you're going through, with all this." Relm walked over to the edge of the deck, and gazed out at the ocean rushing beneath them. After a few moments of silence, Relm whispered.

"I miss Grandpa."

"I know, Relm." Celes replied, looking down at the girl with sad eyes. "But he's got to be somewhere..." Relm shook her head, gazing outward and away from Celes' gaze.

"Well Celes...we all know Grandpa was a lot older than the rest of us." She started. "And I doubt he could of made it through..."

"Relm, don't say that!" Celes cried. "I know it is hard to have faith, but sometimes, it's all you have, and..."

"And what has faith gotten us?!" Relm screamed, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "LOOK AT WHAT FAITH HAS GOTTEN FOR THE RETURNERS!" She pointed out towards the dirtied ocean, the crumbled lands beneath them. "This is what we get for fighting and having faith. When I woke up, and saw all this...I thought I had really died, and that this was some sick purgatory. I wandered around for two years Celes...TWO years...and I couldn't find anyone...and no one wanted to find me..." She started to sob, and moan. "Grandpa didn't come for me...and that can only mean one thing..."

"It doesn't mean anything." Celes said. "It doesn't mean he's dead, or he doesn't care about you. He might be waiting for you, Relm. For once, you just might have to take the lead and find him. That's

all." Celes lowered her head, feeling a little ashamed. She had just been fretting about Locke the same way, but had not even considered her own advice.

"...Whatever." Relm sniffled, and with that, stomped away to go below deck. Celes stared after her, and continued to watch the world pass beneath her. Her eyes focused, and she realized that they would soon be coming over the same continent she had started out on-- the continent where she found Sabin, Edgar, and...

...Terra.

"Terra..." Celes trailed off, and bit her lip. "I have to try again. I have to." With that, Celes turned and grabbed the wheel of the ship, turning off the auto-pilot. Carefully, like Setzer had once shown her, she landed the ship nearby Mobliz. As The Falcon touched the ground, Setzer and some of the others came up, curious.

"What's going on?" Shadow asked gruffly.

"I'm landing at Mobliz." Celes replied. "I want to try to talk to Terra again."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sabin asked, and Celes looked up at him.

"We should at least check on her. She's the only grown-up in this forsaken city. Anything could of happened between the last time we saw her and now."

"I guess you're right." Sabin said. "And in that case, I'll come."

"....Me too." Shadow grunted. "I want to know just exactly what Terra has gotten herself into."

"I'll stay here and watch over things." Setzer said. "And let the others know what is going on."

With that, Celes, Sabin, and Shadow left the ship and began the short walk towards Mobliz. When Shadow saw the town for the first time, he didn't say much, although his eyes spoke volumes. Interceptor sniffed around various patches of grass, and at one point, started to howl. Celes and Sabin led Shadow downstairs through the abandoned post office to the underground hideout for the kids, where, unlike last time, they were warmly welcomed.

"Hey, you guys are back!" The same bouncer boy from before announced. "Why are you back? Huh? Huh?"

"Calm down!" A strong voice cried, and Duane appeared, looking more upset and disturbed than ever. He looked at Celes worriedly, and sighed.

"I don't want the kids yelling...Katarin...she's ready to burst...but I don't know...what to do." He jumbled his words and thoughts, as if not knowing quite exactly what to think or say. He reached up

and wiped his forehead. "I really don't know what to do...ahhh, Gods, why did this have to happen to me!?" He suddenly burst past the Returners, and Celes let out a slight gasp. The little kid looked confused, and a door opened, revealing Terra, in all her glory. She looked healthier than when Celes had last seen her, but still just not quite the same girl. She watched Duane run upstairs before locking her gaze on Celes' and smiling with tight lips.

"Hey, you guys...I guess you already knew about Katarin's expectancy."

Celes bit down on her lip. Was that all Terra really had to say? Was she actually expecting them to just walk away this time, just like before? This wasn't a casual visit!

"I'll go try to find Duane." The little boy offered, and looked at Celes. "He's been running away a lot lately. He runs further and further every day, he tells me, but yet he always comes home. But one day, I think he'll really disappear." Celes widened her eyes as the kid pushed past her, and Shadow and Sabin looked at each other.

"He's...gone again, hasn't he?"

Now Katarin made her appearance, and Duane was right-- she WAS about to burst. Her stomach looked so heavy and full, Celes thought the girl might topple over at any second. Katarin had a slight smile on her face, but Celes could tell she was about to burst into tears at any moment.

"I'm so happy to have a child...but Duane seems miserable..." Katarin sniffled, and Terra patted her back.

"Katarin, you know that you should really be in bed." Terra offered gently. "It's dangerous for you to be walking around like this. What if you fell?"

"...Right..." Katarin sniffled again and turned, retreating to the sick room that Terra had been put to bed in the night Celes and Sabin had been in to see her. The door was pushed closed and locked, and after hearing the "click", Terra finally turned to her friends.

"Shadow...it's good to see you."

"Right." Shadow said, and looked elsewhere. Terra sighed some, and looked to Celes and Sabin. "Are the others...?"

"Strago, Mog, and Locke are still missing." Celes said.

"But everyone else so far...they're ok." Sabin offered. "We're all preparing for the final fight." Terra bit down on her lip.

"Things aren't good here. Phunbaba has been coming by here more and more often. The children are restless, and scared...and Duane has almost abandoned Katarin several times...her pregnancy is really starting to freak him out."

"Men." Celes spat, and Shadow and Sabin looked at each other.

"Hey!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Little feet came thundering down the stairs, and the same child who had run out to get Duane returned, panting for breath and screaming.

"Phunbaba is back! He's back!" He clung to Celes' cape, and started to howl. "Please, make Phunbaba go away for good!" With that, he dashed away, and disappeared into the big children's room.

"What!??" Terra cried, her hand flying up to her mouth. "This makes twice today...!"

"Phunbaba is back!?" The group heard Katarin cry from inside the room. "But Duane is out there...Duane...!!!!" The door flew open, and Katarin came barreling out, gasping and crying as she ran towards the stairs.

"Katarin!" Terra cried, and suddenly, Katarin tripped, and nearly fell face-first on the stairs. However, Shadow dashed up to catch her just in time, and swung her up in his strong arms as she cried and whimpered hysterically. Setting her down by Terra, Terra snatched Katarin's hand and started to scold her.

"Katarin! Think of your child, and get back to your hiding station!"

The upstairs door slammed shut again, and more footsteps pounded down the stairs. This time, it was Duane, who immediately spotted Katarin and ran to her, sweeping her up in his arms and holding her close, nuzzling his nose to hers.

"Katarin...I'm sorry...I didn't know how to handle this...I've been...an awful husband...but I'm learning. Please...will you take me back?"

"Oh Duane..." Katarin cooed, and hugged him tightly. "I..."

"Oh my Gods, you cannot be serious!" Celes cried, and pried the lovers apart. "Did you forget Phunbaba is out there?! Go inside your room, AND DON'T COME OUT!" Everyone stared at Celes as she shuffled the two in their room, and yanked the door shut behind them. Celes then turned to Terra, who disappointed her with a delicate shrug and head shake.

"Please...if you want to save this village...I..I just simply cannot fight..." Celes let out a huff, and without replying, whirled around and thumped up the stairs. Sabin looked back at Terra sadly as he followed her, and Shadow followed without a word.

When Celes reached the surface, she heard the wind howling by and saw that the clouds in the sky had started to darken to a deep, angry gray. Thunder rolled through, and it was then that she heard it...

Thump.

Thump.

THUMP.

Phunbaba pounded towards the Returners, snarling and shaking his head, drool and slobber flying in every direction. Celes withdrew Atma and prepared herself in a stance, while Sabin strapped on his claw and Shadow withdrew several shurieken.

"Let's finish this bastard off!" Celes ordered, and with that, signaled for the attack. Shadow launched some of his stars, and despite the raging wind, they flew through the air and struck Phunbaba in his head and chest. Despite the oozing substance coming from the wounds, it did not do much to slow Phunbaba down. Sabin and Celes followed up with dual strikes from their weapons, but Phunbaba's flesh was as hard as armor, and Celes practically felt Atma bounce off of him like a rubber ball. As Sabin was briefly massaging his sore wrist, and several more stars flew out, Phunbaba let out a grunt, took a deep breath...

...And sneezed.

The sensation was like nothing Celes had ever felt before. She felt herself blowing backward as if she weighed nothing, and bounced off the ground once before being tossed into the flooded lake and plunging under. Sabin, crying out as he flew backward, slammed right into Shadow, who in turn smashed into the post office, and both blacked out instantly. Phunbaba sneered, let out a low sort of cackle, and began to stomp towards the post office, his ultimate goal.

Meanwhile, underground, Terra gasped and jumped as she head the heavy thump against the post office's side, and was horrified when all fell quiet. Before, she could hear the others fighting and shouting to each other...but now...

And then she heard it.

Those horrid, heavy footsteps. She knew what that meant.

"My friends..." She whimpered, feeling tears drip down her cheeks. "I sent them out there...to their deaths..." Before she could stop herself, Terra bolted upstairs, and threw the door to the post office

open. Collapsed around the corner were Sabin and Shadow. Celes' body had surfaced in the shallow lake, and was half lain out on the bank, her legs still dangling in the water.

"Phunbaba!" Terra cried, her eyes starting to glow a soft ruby as she clenched her fists. "YOU WILL PAY!"

In a rush of warm and electric current running through her veins, Terra felt, for the first time in two years, her transformation break through and completely consume her once more. She forgot the sensational high she felt, the feeling that she had a million megawatts of energy coursing through her body instead of mere mortal blood. Her hair, long, white, and shining, fell down her back, and before she could even comprehend it, she had raised her hand, casting five Thundaga spells in succession. Each one struck Phunbaba, instantly paralyzing him and rendering him powerless. In a final blow, Terra cupped her hands together, and felt blazing hot atoms begin to gather and fester. Glaring at Phunbaba, she pushed her hands out, and called the chant.

"FLARE!!!!!"

In a burst of flame and bright red light, Phunbaba howled in pain and began to slowly melt into a mess of green flesh and ooze, sinking into the wet soil of the ground before disappearing completely, all the grass on top instantly turning brown and dead. At that instant, the sky let out another rip of thunder, lightning struck, and rain began to pour down in buckets.

Terra panted out, wiped the sweat from her face, and flew (yes, flew) over to the guys, where she lifted them away from each other gently and cast a Life spell on each to revive them from their blackouts. She then skimmed the air over to Celes, lifted her completely from the water, and checked her breathing. She was alive...and so she too, got a Life spell. As her friends started to wake up, Terra looked around, satisfied in knowing that Phunbaba would never set foot on Mobliz's soil again. However, when she looked towards the open doorway of the post office, she let out a surprised cry.

Standing there, in complete shock, were several of the children, as well as Katarin and Duane. They were staring at Terra with eyes full of fear...no, not fear.

Absolute terror.

Of course... Terra thought to herself, her heart nearly breaking. I must look like a monster to them in my Esper form...!

"I'm afraid..." A little boy cried, and buried his head in Katarin's stomach. "I'm always afraid..."

A little girl, however, broke through the crowd, and walked right up to Terra, grabbing her hand, and staring deep into her pupil-less eyes.

"Momma...? It's you, isn't it? I can tell..." She said softly, and Terra nodded. The girl smiled happily, and squeezed Terra's hand tighter.

"Momma?" Another girl asked, and a boy joined in.

"Momma!!!"

"Terra!" Katarin exclaimed, and waved happily. "Terra, you are...so beautiful!"

"And incredible." A voice said behind her.

"And a pretty damn good shot." Another joined.

Terra turned, and saw her three friends smiling behind her. She ran over to them, hugging all three of them tightly, and crying happily.

"You guys...I can fight! I can!" She pulled away, and smiled as she wiped her tears. "Finally...I understand the feeling that has been inside of me all this time...Even though I kept it buried for so long...afraid I would lose it... I know that it can't go away. I know...because it's...'Love'." She sniffled more. "And now I know...I can't just stay here. I have to go, and fight for the future of our children."

Terra rose into the air, and turning, directed her voice towards all her children.

"Duane...Katarin is going to need your help...and so is your new baby. Listen, children...your "Momma" has to go away for a while. I'll return when I know your future is guaranteed." Terra looked around, but didn't see any sad faces. She saw nothing but eyes full of pride and love, and instantly felt like she was about to melt.

"Momma...I'm not gonna cry!" A girl exclaimed.

"Me neither, Momma!"

"I'll be back!" Terra cried. "I promise! Until then...you all behave!" She took one last look, and before she could stop herself from going, she flew out of Mobliz, flew until The Falcon came into view. A little tired now, Terra landed on the ground and transformed back to her old self, wrapping her hair back into a ponytail by the time Celes, Sabin, and Shadow had managed to escape the throng of children and make it back to the ship. Terra waved, and when they came over, she cleared her throat.

"Thank you." Terra said, looking at Celes, then Sabin, then Shadow. Turning, she saw that all the others had appeared on the deck of the ship, and were watching her from above, waving and smiling. Never feeling like she missed her friends more, Terra smiled back, and spoke a little louder.

"You helped me understand...a part of myself. Now, I...no, we, must go to war. We must all believe that we have a future. We...must fight for those who aren't even born yet!"

"That's right Terra!" Setzer called from the deck.

"Preach it, sugar baby!" Edgar cooed, and Terra turned red.

Ok... Some things, she certainly had not missed.

That night, after everyone got dried off and settled, Terra knocked on Celes' door, and asked if she could come in.

"Sure!" Celes called, and Terra stepped in, wrapped in a cozy bathrobe, her hair in a ponytail again. Celes set aside a piece of paper she had been reading, and Terra sat down beside her on the bed.

"There's something I need to tell you." Terra said, and Celes looked up, alarmed. "It's nothing bad!" Terra exclaimed, raising her hands. "Although...it could turn bad."

"What is it?" Celes asked.

"It's about...it's about one of our Returners." Terra said. "Strago, specifically."

"Strago?" Celes asked, her eyebrows raised. She remembered her conversation with Relm earlier, and swallowed nervously. "Did something happen to him?"

"Sort of." Terra said, and looked down at her feet. "You see...there is this tower that is not so far away from here. It's not the same as Kefka's tower, but it is similar. It was built by Kefka's fanatics, and now they all live in it and guard it, because supposedly, there is a great treasure there. However, there isn't really a way to confirm that rumor, because the fanatics will absolutely not speak to anyone except to their god...and you can guess who that is."

"What does this have to do with Strago?" Celes asked.

"I'm getting to that." Terra said. "While attempting to do some exploring on my own, before I got too weak, I actually passed by the tower, and believe it or not, I was brave enough to step in. There, I saw a line of fanatics marching in front, and in that line was...Strago."

"What?!" Celes cried. "So Strago is alive?!"

"Yes!" Terra said. "But he wouldn't speak a word to me, or even acknowledge that I was there. I think he was completely brainwashed."

"Oh no..." Celes sighed, and leaned back against her pillow. "Relm will be crushed if she hears that. She was just crying to me today about how she thinks Strago is dead."

"But that's the thing." Terra said, and widened her eyes. "I think that Relm might just be the person to get through to him."

Celes blinked. "Why do you say that...?"

Suddenly, the girls heard a crash outside their door, and a high- pitched string of curses.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! WHAT KIND OF SHITTY OPERATION DO YOU RUN HERE, SETZER!?"

"...Ok, point taken." Celes said, and Terra smiled weakly.

"Yes...she's quite a rambunctious girl. I did not think that would change in a mere two years." Terra looked over Celes' shoulder to the paper. "What is that?"

"This?" Celes asked, and picked it up, handing it to Terra. "I actually found it in Owzer's house, on a portrait of the Emperor. There is writing on the back."

Terra took it, and read aloud.

"The treasure is hidden where the mountains form a star..." She looked up. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know." Celes bit down on her lip. "I don't understand it at all...and...I mean, it's just treasure...but for some reason, it's calling strongly to me. Like there is something more than meets the eye."

"Have you shown the others yet?" Terra asked, and Celes shook her head.

"No...maybe another time. Right now, things are hectic."

"Of course. We should all get some rest tonight, and go and see Strago tomorrow."

"Right." Celes smiled. "And on that note, I think I'll do just that."

"Me too!" Terra smiled, and got up. After reaching the doorway, she looked to Celes.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too, Terra." Celes replied, a little sadly. Terra bit down on her lip.

"I know you miss him too."

"What?" Celes questioned, and Terra wondered if she should go on. Was she just ripping open a wound?

"....Good-night, Celes." With that, Terra turned, and closed the door behind her softly.

The next morning, Celes and Terra took it upon themselves to reintroduce Relm to Strago. Waking her up and dragging her outside, the girls decided to just walk to the tower, and have Setzer follow behind in case they needed a quick escape.

"What are we doing?!" Relm whined. "I don't think now is a good time for girly gossip or whatever it is you broads do!"

"Shut up Relm." Celes gritted her teeth together, wondering if this was really worth the trouble.

"Yes...do be quiet." Terra said, polite as usual. "Or else..."

"I'll kick your ass." Celes snapped. With that, Relm kept quiet.

The tower, as old and rotting as a Zozo building, soon came into view, and Celes and Terra could spot the marchers in front of it, just like Terra had described. They were guarding a staircase that led right into the straight-column building, and on the outside balconies, several fanatics, all dressed in red and white ceremonial robes and masks that covered their faces, constantly climbed up and down the same flight of stairs, as if they didn't know where to go. Seeing this, Celes turned to Terra and whispered.

"How do we know which one is Strago? They all look the same!"

"You'll know, trust me." Terra whispered back, and Relm pouted.

"WTF you guys?"

"Shhh!" Terra cried. "We don't know if these guys are dangerous or not...exactly."

"Then why are we here!?" Relm shrieked.

"Look, over there!" Celes suddenly gasped, and pointed. There, marching in line, with his robes on backwards and his mask missing, was Strago. He was marching in perfect beat with the others, his eyes vacant and glazed over. After Celes' pointing and calling out, he didn't even flinch. In fact, no one moved an inch, except to continue marching.

"...Grandpa..." Relm trailed off, and narrowed her eyes. "That can't be him...he's not even looking at us!"

"Relm, he may be brainwashed." Terra began to explain. "But, perhaps, if you went over and gently shook his conscience...hey!!"

Relm had bolted off, shoving away a fanatic in the line of marchers and blocking Strago's path. Despite Relm being right in front of him, he lifted his legs as if he intended to still march, but kept his same spot.

"YOU!" Relm squealed, and reached up, giving Strago a hard smack across the cheek. "You old fool! You're still standing!?" Strago blinked, shook his head, and suddenly looked down and Relm, gasping.

"Relm!!!! Is that you, my dear? You're alive?"

"Idiot!" Relm snapped. "Of course I'm all right!"

"Oh Relm..." Strago suddenly hugged her, and cried happily. "I'm so so so so so so so so so happy...it feels like just yesterday I was grasping for your hand on that horrible airship accident..."

"Oh please." Relm rolled her eyes, and pulled away. "Did you think I was gonna check out before you, old man? Aha ha ha ha!" Strago pulled back, surprised, and burst into a happy grin.

"Oh, you're as foul-mouthed as ever, bless your heart!" Relm smiled at this, and hugged her Grandpa for real this time.

"Come along now...we're all glad to see you!" Strago looked up, and saw Celes and Terra waving. Smiling, he waved back.

"Whoa now...We'll I'll be...All right, Relm! Make room for me!"

That night, at dinner, which was another celebratory one, thanks to Strago's return, Setzer announced that he thought the Returners should go back up north, and navigate Narshe.

"We can check and see if we still have allies up there." He said. "We know there aren't any more Imperial Soldiers around, but there still may be other Returners."

"Oh, that would be wonderful." Terra said. "I would be so happy if I could see Arvis and Banon and the others who helped us again..."

"Then we'll go tomorrow morning." Celes said. "But tonight, we'd better stop in somewhere and get lots of furs...it's going to be a cold mission."

"That's a good idea, Celes." Sabin offered. "Although, wearing fur is sort of ethically wrong, and..."

"Brother, you can freeze to death if you want, but the rest of us want to survive to kick Kefka's ass." Edgar said, and looked over at Sabin slyly. "Besides...I don't think it's ethical to wear that tiger-tooth necklace you got there, either..." Sabin turned red, immediately pulled up his muscle-shirt collar, and cleared his throat.

Chapter Forty-One - Dancing Mad: Mog

The freezing winds of Narshe howled as Terra, Celes, and Relm approached the gates of the town. Each girl wrapped in soft fur capes and wearing insulated snow boots, they padded through the snow as the wind whipped through their hair.

"I don't ever remember Narshe being this bad!" Terra cried.

"Look, someone is at the gate!" Relm said, and pointed.

Sure enough, approaching the gate from the inside of town was a tall, lean figure, wrapped in enough cloaks and furs to clothe all the Returners comfortably. However, he had a familiar wolf mask strapped on the top of his head, and Terra recognized him as Lone Wolf, the thief that nearly killed their moogle friend, Mog. At first, Terra thought she was hallucinating. After all, she had seen Lone Wolf go flying off the cliff when she rescued Mog. But, then again...stranger things had happened as of late.

Lone Wolf recognized Terra, and strode right up to her. Gasping out, Terra took a pace back, and Celes and Relm took a defensive step in front of their friend.

"Lone Wolf!" Terra cried. "...What...what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing." Lone Wolf grunted. He didn't seem that dangerous anymore. His eyes looked troubled, and his features had been considerably roughened since the last time Terra could remember. "Eh...it doesn't matter anyway. There's nothing left here...except maybe that one moogle...and only a treasure hunter could pick all the locks they've got on the shops and homes."

"What do you mean, everything is gone?" Terra asked worriedly.

"I mean, everything is gone." Lone Wolf replied, sounding a little irritated. "Gods, where have you been for the past two years? Under a rock?"

"Why don't you answer her question?" Celes snapped, and threateningly raised her fists.

"Whoa!" Lone Wolf cried, backing up a bit. "Sorry, General Celes."

Celes growled under her breath. At least the fool recognized her, even if it was her old title.

"Ever since two years ago, Narshe has become like a frozen hell to live in. The city's temperatures dropped even lower than normal, and soon, everything froze over, and it constantly snowed. People would be frozen inside their homes for weeks, and if outsiders happened to come into town, it was only then that the people got their homes defrosted so that they could come out. Some people were

smart and moved out right away, before anything really bad could happened, but others stayed, and the Returners promised that they would be there to bail anyone out that was in danger."

Terra bit down on her lip, and Lone Wolf continued after taking a breath.

"But one night...there was a distress call, because a little girl got lost in the Narshe Mines while playing. A huge storm was supposed to be rolling through that night, so the Returners dispatched nearly all their men to go out and look for her. The others remained in town, trying to help people get prepared for the storm. However, whoever predicted that storm did a really bad job, because all of a sudden, ice rain and snow started letting loose on Narshe, and it didn't stop for an entire two weeks. I was out of town at the time, but when I returned...everybody was dead, or missing. The chancellor of Figaro issued a search party in the mines and throughout the city to find survivors, but out of everyone, there were just two men. They were still frozen in their houses. All the Returners perished, including their leaders, Arvis and Banon."

"...Arvis..." Terra gasped. "And Banon..." She didn't quite know what to say. Inside, however, she was screaming.

"For a while, no one was allowed in Narshe because of all the bodies Figaro was recovering." Lone Wolf said. "And after that, someone locked up all the houses and declared the town abandoned. There was no way anyone was going to want to live in Narshe after that horror story, and there hasn't been anyone new here since. Like I said before, there were two survivors, who I think might still be in there somewhere, and a moogle."

"Oh my gods..." Relm breathed, and Celes didn't say a word. Terra looked down, and didn't flinch as Lone Wolf brushed past her. Finally, she sniffled, and raised a hand to wipe away her tear before it literally froze on her face.

"Why...why did this happen...?"

"I don't know." Lone Wolf replied as he walked away. "But it got to be where I was hearing more howls than just the wind...I bet Narshe's haunted now..." With that, he walked away, and Celes and Relm gathered around Terra.

"Are you ok?" Relm asked. "Do you want to go on?"

"....Yes." Terra moaned, holding her forehead. "There might be clues...or something...something..."

"I'll take point." Celes offered. "Just keep your cool, Terra...we don't know what kinds of monsters are lurking around here now."

As the girls entered town, something started to make a crackling noise. It was a radio-like device that Setzer and Sabin, and even Cyan, despite his fear of machinery, had been working on. So far,

they only had two, but if it worked on its very first mission, they decided they would make more for all of the Returners to have.

Terra looked down at her belt, and pulled off the radio, bringing it near her lips and pressing in a button. "Terra here." Meanwhile, Celes and Relm started knocking on doors, and trying to open them.

"Terra, can you hear me ok?" It was Setzer.

"Yes, loud and clear." Terra said softly.

"What's wrong? Do you guys see anything?" Terra lifted her head and looked around. Death. Destruction. Ice. Snow. That was all she saw.

"I don't see a thing, Setzer...Narshe...has been abandoned."

"What?! Are you serious?"

"Yes..."

"Hey!" Relm exclaimed, suddenly bending down. "Look what I found!" Celes walked over, and kneeled down herself.

"Footsteps...really tiny ones, at that."

"It looks like a moogle's footsteps." Relm said. "And they must be really recent, for us to still see them with the snow coming down like this. Should we follow them?"

"Sounds like a plan." Celes said, and looked up. Terra was still speaking into the radio.

"Terra, if there is nothing there, I want you girls to head back."

"Terra, we're gonna follow these footsteps!" Relm declared, and Terra nodded, speaking back into the radio.

"We've just found some footsteps. We're gonna investigate."

"Well...ok. Just please, be careful."

"We will." Terra turned off her radio, and hooked it back onto her belt. As she began to follow the others, she felt a creeping, sickly feeling in her stomach. Narshe, essentially, was where her journey as a Returner had begun, even if she didn't know it at the time. The day she woke up in Arvis' house was the day her life had changed forever. She remembered when she ran from the bustling city with

Locke to keep from getting recaptured into the Empire. There were so many people, so many footsteps, and so much warmth. But now...

The one place Terra could call a hometown was gone.

The footsteps led away from Narshe and into the mines. And while it was definitely freezing cold out, the stone walls of the mines protected them from the wind, and that was a plus. Relm took out a flashlight, and flipping it on, used it to illuminate the path ahead. Everything here was so familiar to Terra that she immediately took the point, and kept her head down low to watch the footprints. Celes and Relm looked at each other. Since neither had known Arvis or Banon the way Terra did, they could only comfort her and tell her that everything would be ok. However, now was obviously not the time to do that.

The footsteps continued on through an opening in the mines, and Terra stopped. The ground beneath them was covered in hay, some of it wet, but most of it dry. Looking around, she could not see anything out of the ordinary, besides the little white ball of fluff shivering against the back wall of the cave, its eyes shut. When Terra took another step on the crunchy hay and saw no reaction, she realized it was sleeping.

"It's a moogle!" Relm whispered, and Terra nodded.

"The poor thing...it must be freezing to death..." She slowly approached, kneeling down when she got to the moogle's side, and stroking its head gently. The moogle's antenna slowly lifted, the little pink ball at the end bobbing, and it opened its squinty eyes, looking at Terra and letting out a squeal.

"Don't be afraid!" Terra whispered urgently. "You're the only sign of life we've seen around here..."

"Kupo, I'm not afraid of my friend Terra!" The moogle suddenly said, and Terra blinked. Celes' jaw dropped.

"Mog?"

"Yes, Mog is I, Kupo!" The moogle got up on its hind feet and stretched. "Ahhh...what a crappy nap. This cave gets colder everyday. One day I'm gonna wake up a frozen moogle-sicle!"

"Mog!" Terra cried happily, and hugged him tightly. "After hearing the news about Narshe, I thought for sure you were dead!"

"No way, Kupo!" Mog cried. "Moogles do not die THAT easily. When I came home, and found the city in chaos, as the King of the Moogles, I moved all of us out, Kupo! Sent the moogle population to live in a safer environment until we could come home again!"

"That was very good of you, Mog." Celes said, crossing her arms over her chest. "But why did you stay here?"

"Because I knew that if I hoped long enough, you would come back for me!" Mog cried, and Terra sniffled, hugging him tighter.

"Of course Mog, of course...and here we are. The others are all on the airship, waiting."

"Mog is so happy." Mog said, sniffling a little himself, and rubbing his big shiny nose. "Mog is SO happy. I thought you were all feeding the worms!"

"Well, then I reckon we should get the hell out of here, before we become casualties." Relm said, and turned to leave. Mog jumped up, waving his arms.

"No, wait! There is someone else here that can help us!" Terra blinked, and stood back up.

"Someone else?"

"Well, something else, rather." Mog said. "Its name is Umaro."

"It!?" Celes asked worriedly.

"Well, I never really came out and asked Umaro if it was a boy or girl, Kupo." Mog explained. "That is not something you exactly ask...a Sasquatch."

"Pardon me?!" Celes' eyes looked like they were about to bug out of her head.

"But I've always assumed he was a guy, just because of his vocal tone." Mog went on, ignoring her. "But I know that we could definitely use some Sasquatch muscle! Besides, he'd be helpless here without me! Once we find him, I will order him to join us! I know that he is somewhere here in the mines."

"Uh..." Relm looked mildly disgusted, but Terra was all for it.

"Oh yes, we should find your friend, Mog! I'm sure he'd make a wonderful companion!"

"Oh yeah, he's a great fighter." Mog said, gesturing towards the others and he began to lead them through a new tunnel within the cave. As they climbed and crawled, he kept talking. "...And he can actually control the snow with this Blizzard attack...And then there is this neat trick where he throws people into his enemies."

"Ok, never put me with him." Relm grunted.

The now four Returners emerged from the mines, and Terra found herself at the edge of the northern snowfields of Narshe. She could remember when not too long ago, Kefka had challenged them to a battle there, and they had won so easily. How could Kefka had gotten so powerful between then and now? How would the Returners fare against...a god?

Suddenly, a huge gust of frozen wind whipped through, causing everyone to shiver and shout out. Mog flapped his frozen wings and squealed.

"Out here is what helped caused Narshe to freeze over like this in the first place!"

"What?" Celes called over the wind, which was beginning to howl louder and higher.

"A giant dragon lives in these fields!" Mog called back. "It's blue, and its scales are made of pure ice! It has been here ever since the world crumbled apart!"

"One of the eight legendary dragons!" Celes suddenly cried. "And I bet it's the Ice Dragon!"

"One of the eight legendary dragons?!" Terra exclaimed. "What does that mean?"

"I'll explain to you later!" Celes replied loudly. "But you must trust me when I say we should defeat it!"

"If only we could!" Mog cried. "If we defeated this thing...maybe Narshe would return to normal!"

"AHHHH!" Relm suddenly screamed, pointing up towards the sky. "I think we just found our Ice Dragon!"

"WHOA!" Celes cried, and gave everyone a hard push to the ground. "LOOK OUT!" At that moment, the dragon sailed over the Returners, screeching loudly and leaving behind it a trail of sparking snow, ice, and freezing wind. When Celes pulled herself back up, she looked around, but couldn't see the dragon anywhere. The skies had turned even grayer and paler, and the snow was coming down harder. Terra followed, shaking the snow out of her cape, and then Relm and Mog.

"Where did it go?!" Terra cried, and Celes withdrew Atma.

"I don't know...but when it comes back..."

"Celes, look out!" Mog suddenly cried.

But it was too late. Before Celes could turn around, the Ice Dragon opened its mouth wide, and she felt something icy strike her in the back. Letting out a violent shiver and a scream, Celes dropped Atma, feeling a swift numbness run up her body, starting at the tips of her toes and enveloping her entire body, right up to her head.

Terra, Mog, and Relm could only stare in horror, as the Ice Dragon swooped over Celes' paralyzed form and disappeared in the air again, preparing to make another strike. Terra ran up to Celes, running her fingers over her friend's face and chest, which was covered in a blue crystallized substance, like the rest of her body. Her face was locked in a frightened stare, her mouth slightly parted.

"Oh my gods..." Terra gasped, turning to the others. "Celes has been frozen solid!"

Chapter Forty-Two - Gigas Strength: Umaro

"Celes!" Relm screamed. "Celes, wake up!"

"Look out again!" Mog cried, and this time, everyone ducked as the Ice Dragon went screaming by, spitting out more sparkling ice balls, but this time, not striking anyone.

"I can't reach it with my knife!" Mog cried, and Relm straightened her hat.

"Nor can I with my paintbrush!!!"

"But maybe we can hit it with magic!" Terra exclaimed, and closed her eyes, touching the pendant around her neck. A faint white aura began to surround her body, and in a flash of light, she was in her Esper form. Cupping her hands together, Terra began to chant, and red sparks began to fly from her fingers.

"Firaga!"

Terra released the spell right as the dragon flew overhead. The flames shot up from Terra's hands like a fiery geyser, shooting right through the dragon's stomach and melting a perfect hole through its body. The dragon screeched so loud that the Returners had to cover their ears, and suddenly, the drifting snow in the wind had amassed into a blizzard.

"Ifrit, please help us!" Relm cried, holding her piece of Magicite that was around her neck. The stone began to glow red, and in a burst of flames, Ifrit appeared floating in the sky, and with a ferocious growl, dove out for the dragon. Snatching it by the tail with one of his huge, clawed hands, Ifrit ripped the dragon back towards him and leaned in, biting right down on the dragon's neck with his long fangs, steam coming out of the dragon as it screamed and tried to wriggle away. Taking her chance, Terra cast another Firaga spell, and then another, each one cutting a new hole through the dragon as Ifrit kept his hold on him. Mog, scrambling over to Celes' sword, took it into his hands and watched in amazement as a long, slender blue blade appeared.

Leaping onto Relm's shoulder, and then Terra's as she cast her last spell, Mog clung to Terra's hair as she suddenly lifted from the ground and flew Mog towards the wriggling beast, where he took one clean cleave with Atma and cut the Ice Dragon's head right off. At that moment, the body burst into a collection of glittering snow and ice, the head exploding as soon as it made impact with the ground. Ifrit, a little surprised, suddenly disappeared in a burst of flames and smoke, his help no longer needed. Terra landed back safely onto the ground and Mog hopped down, where she proceeded to transform back into her normal self. The wind had died down, and the snow had stopped-- everything was completely silent.

"That was scary." Relm muttered, and Mog panted out.

"Mog does not want to ever do that again, Kupo!!!"

"But it was a brilliant plan!" Terra exclaimed. "I'm proud of you that you thought of it!"

"Maybe Narshe will turn back to normal now." Relm said thoughtfully. "But what do we do about Celes? She's still frozen." The Returners all looked over-- Relm was right. Celes was still staring at them, and still very icy.

"It's kinda suiting for the ice queen." Mog giggled, and Terra crossed her arms over her chest.

"Mog, it's not funny. What if she's..."

"She's not dead." Relm suddenly said firmly, and held up her Magicite stone. "Fire!"

A little trail of flame ran around the ice statue, and disappeared in a trail of smoke.

"RELM!" Terra cried. "Don't do that!"

But suddenly, the ice began to crackle, and between the cracks, began to melt. Celes' eyes slowly blinked behind the ice, and when she started to move, the ice shattered around her, leaving her in tact, with just some snow and ice chunks in her hair. Celes blinked, and looked around.

"What...happened?"

"The Ice Dragon froze you." Terra said. And then, in a lesser tone "But Relm managed to...melt you."

"Where is that bastard?" Celes growled, and grabbed Atma from Mog's hand. Mog let a squeal and backed away.

"We killed him, Celes, Kupo!"

"Oh." Celes looked disappointed as she sheathed Atma. "What a waste."

"Aha ha ha..." Terra laughed nervously. "Shall we travel onward, Celes? I'm sure you'll find plenty to slay. And meanwhile, you can tell us about this Legendary Dragon thing you were screaming about before."

So, as they continued to traverse the snowfields, Celes explained everything to Terra that the man in the Veldt Cave had told her. When she was finished, Terra pushed back her hair in thought.

"So, there's like...an Ultimate Esper?"

"Supposedly. Named Crusader."

"That's very interesting." Terra said. "Terribly fascinating. I guess there were quite a few Espers that Kefka never got a hold of."

"Yeah, I bought two at the Jidoor Auction House." Relm piped in. "And Owzer bought one."

"And Sabin said a thief was trying to sell on in Tzen." Celes said. "For 30 GP!"

"That disturbs me, a little." Terra said worriedly. "Most people are not to be trusted..."

"Oh my gods!" Relm suddenly shrieked, pointing ahead. "What the hell is that?!" When the others looked up, they saw that they had been approaching the bridge on the cliffs of the mines. And still waiting there was the frozen Esper, the one that had sent Terra into a fit and made her go flying across the sky. Terra gulped.

"Mog, why did you take us here?"

"Well, I usually have to sneak behind it to get into the hole I made to visit Umaro." Mog said. "But...that thing has never glowed before, like it is now."

"We...we should go..." Relm stuttered, and Terra shook her head.

"No...I think it wants to tell us something."

Terra led the others to the glowing ball of ice, and stared at the creature inside. She could just barely make out its sharp beak, and multi- colored wings. Suddenly, a loud screech filled the air, and the ice around him shattered, causing his wings to spread out into the air nearly six feet! The beast's clawed feet were still frozen in the ice, but it was crying loudly and flapping its wings, ice pieces and bolts of energy flying everywhere!

"Duck!" Terra cried, and the team fell to the snowy ground. As Terra lied there, she silently transformed herself back into an Esper, and then stood up again. However, the beast still continued his frenzied attacks, and Terra realized she was left with no choice.

"FLARE!"

After the hard-core spell smashed into the beast, nearly burning off all his feathers and turning his beak black, he stopped flapping around and stared at Terra, and then turned his head to look at the others. Celes, Relm, and Mog finally stood up, and the beast ruffled his wings, new and beautiful feathers appearing like magic. He pulled his feet out of the now melted ice around his base end, and took a step towards the Returners.

"Stop it!" Terra demanded, and the beast stared at her.

"You HUMANS freed me from that prison of ice?" A voice, deep and foreboding rang out through the cliffs, even though the bird's beak hadn't moved an inch.

"Who are you?" Terra asked, ignoring him, which Celes thought was a pretty ballsy thing to do. The bird tilted its head.

"Me? I am Tritoch, the Esper Master of Elements. I sense that you possess Magicite...and that you, young lady, possess much more."

"My father was Maudin, the Esper." Terra replied. "This form is my Esper side."

"I see..." Tritoch shivered. "I sense war, and destruction...Could that stupid war of the Magi lasted 1000 years? I was frozen here in a chasm while it was raging on so long ago..."

"No, it's not the same war, but it is similar." Terra said. "But..."

"I can sense that you are trying to stop this madness." Tritoch said. "But only time will deem you worthy of such a task. Remember that."

Before Terra could say anymore, that was a brilliant flash of light, and Tritoch had disappeared. In his stead was...a piece of Magicite.

"The Espers must sense that we are in grave danger for all of them to be giving themselves up for us..." Celes trailed off, as if she had read Terra's mind. Terra shivered, hugging the Magicite to her chest.

"We'll be fine...I know we will. Kefka will not remain in this world." She looked at the others, who all solemnly nodded. She then kneeled down to Mog, who, granted, looked slightly freaked out.

"I will fly us to the chamber in the mines that you climb into. But you must lead the way from there."

"Uh...yes...Miss...Esper." Mog squealed, and tumbled over to the edge of the cliff. "I usually just slip in right here..."

One at a time, Terra lifted Mog, Relm, and Celes into the hole, so that they didn't risk falling off the cliff like Mog did every time he went. After setting Celes down in the dark cave, Terra panted out, and undid her transformation.

"Whooo... Celes, you're really heavy."

"It's muscle, ok? Get over it."

"This way!" Mog declared, and started bobbing forward, a glowing light suddenly appearing on the ball on his antenna.

"Cool!" Relm cried, and tried to grab it.

"Hands off!" Mog cried. "That IS a body part, you know! Not a toy, Kupo!!!" The cave was fairly small, and after crossing a tiny drawbridge across a dark pond of water, the Returners entered a bigger, more spacious cave. In this cave, the ceilings were high and nearly out of sight, torches of light were glowing on the walls. This provided plenty of light to see...and also to see the litter of bones covering the ground.

"Erm..." Terra blinked. "What are all these bones?"

"Umaro likes to make bone carvings." Mog replied casually. "Like, weapons and stuff. Don't ask, don't tell, ya know?" Terra didn't want to, but she looked around anyway, and decided that a lot of the skulls looked too human for her tastes.

Ahead of them were a set of carved out stairs, that led to yet another cavern, which was dark inside. Also by the stairs were two skulls posted up on sticks, and in one of them, the eye sockets were glimmering.

"What's that?" Relm asked, going over to the skull and reaching in.

"Relm, be careful!" Terra cried, but Relm yanked her hand out, and inside it was yet another piece of Magicite. As Relm held it up for the others to see, the cave began to rumble and shake. A low growling could be heard, and pounding from the darker cave up the steps...was something huge, furry, and white. As it came closer and closer, Terra could make out some sort of lumbering beast with a purple, hairy, muscle-packed stomach, long arms that went a little past his knees, and a face with a purple monkey- like snout and beady eyes, with more white hair flying everywhere. The beast went right up to Relm, reaching down, and grabbing her by the neck of her cape.

"AHHHHHHH!" Relm screamed, kicking and screaming and beating the thing with her tiny fists. "GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!" The beast merely growled and pitched Relm like a softball, sending her barreling into Terra.

"Uhhhh!" Terra moaned, stumbling backwards and staring up at the ceiling, with Relm flat on top of her. "I see stars..."

"Umaro!" Mog snapped, and walked right up to the beast, jumping up and smacking him across the face. "PAY ATTENTION!" The beast called Umaro blinked and made another growling noise, but this one was somehow softer and more curious. Celes was just staring, not quite knowing what to do. This was a Sasquatch?

"I'm your boss, Kupo!" Mog barked, and Umaro stared at him dumbly. "And you're going to join us! Got that?"

Umaro started to nod his head up and down, accompanied by jumping that shook the cave harder and nearly made Celes fall over on her own feet.

"Ooooh...me Umaro...you boss.... Yes boss, Umaro join you!"

Mog grinned, patting Umaro on the knee. "Now Umaro, no slouching now!" The Sasquatch then promptly stood up straighter, moving his shoulders back and unbuckling his knees. Terra and Relm slowly recovered, sitting up and rubbing their heads.

"Umaro?" Terra repeated. "So...that's...Umaro." She looked mildly disturbed.

"Umaro wait for you in big airship!" Umaro declared after Mog did some whispering in his ear. With that, Umaro pounded forward, marching out of the cave and nearly knocking Terra and Relm over again. When he was gone, the three girls looked at Mog, who shrugged.

"He's a big boy. He can't help it sometimes."

"He is totally your responsibility." Celes declared. "That is your baby, Mog, not ours."

"Understood!" Mog smiled cheerfully. "I'll especially remember that if we ever get in a fight, Celes." Celes narrowed her eyes.

"You'll remember more than that if we DO ever fight." With that, she swung her cape back, and started to march out after Umaro.

"We'd better go and get back to the ship." Terra said. "I bet Setzer is worried like mad that his three girls are missing."

"And everyone is gonna be happy to see Mog, Kupo!" Mog exclaimed, and Relm pushed her beret on more.

"They're not gonna be happy to see what is coming with you."

"Well, I have faith in Umaro!" Terra smiled. "I'm sure everything will turn out just fine!" As Mog started to lead them out, and call for Celes, Terra let her smile fade and looked down at the ground. So, it was final. Arvis, Banon, and all the other Returners were dead. They were officially the last Returners left.

At first, the Returners had been a faction merely to rebel against the Empire and its army. At first, Terra was wrapped up in the sheer romance of it all-- a girl with no memories being asked by a dashing thief and king of the most powerful country in the world to join in their cause to bring the

world justice and undo the wrongs that had been set against her. And yes, she was confused, and felt more alone than ever, but somehow, she knew what she was doing was the right thing. When it came to light that the Empire had actually been the direct cause of her parent's death, and of the way she was now, Terra vowed to fight with all her soul, with passion.

But now, the Empire was gone, without a trace. And that, technically, should have meant that the Returners should be gone as well. They got their way-- there was no more empire.

But one of the Returners had risen from the dust, and began a new crusade, to fight again, and to take on a new mission: Kefka. Now, the Returners had become something more than just a little rebellion...perhaps...did Terra dare call the Returners heroes?

Terra knew that what they were doing now was right, she had no doubt about that at all. But she wasn't so sure if it truly was their destiny to overthrow the ruler of their New World. Tritoch had said it himself:

"But only time will deem you worthy of such a task. Remember that."

"Celes!" Mog suddenly exclaimed. Terra was shaken out of her thoughts. Celes was kneeling down, investigating a large hole that had been made in the wall of the cave.

"I think Umaro broke through here." She said. "From what I can see, there is a ledge here, and it leads right down into Narshe the city."

"It's a good thing you followed him, then!" Relm smiled. "Shortcuts are nice."

Mog and Relm first climbed through the hole, leaving Celes and Terra alone. Celes looked up at Terra. Terra returned the stare.

"I know what you're thinking...we're the only ones left now, huh? Banon's great task has fallen upon our shoulders." Terra nodded, and leaned back against the wall.

"Something like that..." She looked back up to Celes. "Celes? Have you ever...you know...doubted yourself? Doubted what you were doing here? Wondered if you were doing all this in vain?" Celes sighed, and looked away.

"Have I doubted myself...? Countless times...I doubted myself the moment I woke up from my coma..." Celes continued to stare down. "I saw what the world had become, and I grew sick inside...I realized that I might never see you guys again. After that, I climbed up a cliff ledge...and threw myself off." Terra gasped, and Celes felt her eyes water.

"I don't remember the fall. I just remember waking up, to the smell of salt and the feeling of sand grinding into my cheek. I had fallen into the ocean, only to be washed back up to the same damned shore that I had woken up on. When I realized I had survived, I was furious. I started to scream and

cry...and this bird was just staring at me. After I calmed down, I saw that it was wearing this around its neck." Celes reached into her pocket and pulled out a rather sad-looking bandana...but Terra recognized it immediately.

"That's Locke's! He's alive!?"

"I know." Celes put it away. "When I realized that someone was looking for me, I knew I couldn't just remain idle anymore. So, I found my way back to the mainland, and started looking for Locke. When I saw what Kefka had done to the world...and what he was still doing...I just knew. I knew it was up to us again. That's why I left to find the others."

"But..." Terra trailed off. "What Tritoch said..."

"He didn't mean what you think he meant, I'm sure." Celes offered. "I think he sensed it...that we hadn't become a whole team yet. As you know, one of us is still missing. And I believed the same thing as Tritoch. I knew that I would not be ready to battle Kefka unless it was with all my friends."

"But where is Locke?!" Terra cried. "Why...why hasn't he found us yet?"

"I don't know." Celes said. "But...I know we'll find him. Believe me...it's been one of the only things keeping me going sometimes."

"Thanks, Celes." Terra smiled. "You have been such a wonderful leader. But I think it comes naturally, being a General and all."

"I'm not the leader anymore." Celes smiled some. "You're back, remember? If it weren't for you...none of us would have ever met. You brought us together. You're the leader." She reached at her belt, and unhooked Atma's hilt, handing it back to Terra. "Here. This is yours again." Terra slowly took the hilt, and watched in amazement as the blade shot up, blazing and brighter than ever before.

"Celes...are you sure...?"

"There's another sword out there for me, somewhere." Celes smiled. "Just take back what is rightfully yours."

"GIRLS!" Mog shouted from outside. "How long are you going to take, KUPO!?"

"We'd better go." Celes smiled, and turned, getting down on her hands and knees and crawling through the hole. Terra stared at Atma for a few moments, the glow of the blade reflecting back in her emerald eyes. Suddenly, her radio started to crackle and sputter at her belt side again. Putting away Atma, Terra picked up the radio and turned it back on.

"Terra here."

"TERRA!" This time the voice was Edgar's. "What have you been doing!? You've been ignoring the radio all this time!"

"I've been busy!" Terra smiled. "But we're on our way back right now! And, we found Mog!"

"Mog? Really? That's good...Just hurry back, ok? I miss you!"

"I'm sure." Terra chuckled, and all of a sudden, a scream broke out on Edgar's end, high-pitched and girly.

"OH MY GODS! There's something...hairy...and huge...it...it just got on the airship...Gau is hugging it...GAU, STAY AWAY FROM THAT THING! EEEEE!"

"Uh oh!" Terra laughed, quickly clicking off her radio, and crawling outside in the hole, calling out to Celes and the others ahead of her.

"Hurry, you guys! It looks like Umaro has just made his introductions on The Falcon!"

Chapter Forty-Three - Master of Simulacrum: Gogo

"I'm sorry that I have bee neglecting you, my darling..."

"Yes...I know...it has been far too long..."

"Hee hee..."

"Terra, be quiet!"

"Sorry, Celes."

Terra and Celes were paused outside of the door of The Falcon's engine room, where they had just recently seen Setzer enter, and quickly shut the door behind him. Now, he was talking to someone, and it sounded like it was going to get hot and heavy.

"Why are we spying, anyway?" Terra whispered, and Celes shrugged.

"We've got nothing better to do?"

"But who do you think is in there?" Terra asked anxiously. "I mean, we're the only girls, and we're right here...unless you mean..."

"Relm!" Celes gasped. "That little tramp!"

"No, Setzer, you can't corrupt her!" Terra suddenly cried, and with that, threw open the door. There, was Setzer, standing in front of...

A control tower, with lots of levers and gears.

"Um...Excuse me?" Setzer blinked, and Terra nearly fell over. Celes stepped in calmly, and smiled.

"Let me guess...talking to your airship again?"

"You were SPYING on me!" Setzer protested. "Who the hell did you think I was talking to?"

"...No one." Terra said slowly. "Absolutely no one."

"Ignore her." Celes said. "She's a whack-job."

"But who were you really talking to?" Terra asked innocently.

"My airship." Setzer said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "My one true love."

"See? I told you." Celes snapped haughtily, and turned, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she left the room. Terra chuckled.

"So what's wrong with your baby?"

"I'm not sure." Setzer said, turning serious as he looked around the engine room. "Relm heard something crash in here the other night, and while I think I managed to fix it, I'm not sure if what caused that to happen is still a problem. I mean...I forgot this thing was underground for quite a few years..."

"I'm sure if anything is wrong; you'll figure it out." Terra smiled. "You are the master of the skies, after all."

"I know." Setzer smiled back. "Thanks, Terra. It's so...great to have you back." Terra blushed slightly, and turned, leaving. Everyone had been saying it was great for her to be back...it was a weird feeling. She felt the same way she had felt when she had awoken from her coma in Zozo. Like she had been so cut off from the world, and then suddenly thrust back into it. But the good news was she had friends with open arms waiting for her.

As Terra passed by Celes' room, she glanced in. Celes was still perched on her bed, bent over that shred of a letter. Terra bit down on her lip. She felt bad that there was nothing she could do for her friend. Beside Celes sat Locke's bandana, clenched between her fingers tightly. Terra felt even worse about that. Where had Locke gone? Being that Terra knew him probably the longest out of everyone else except Edgar, she knew that he could be very elusive, and, in most cases, not be found if he didn't want to be. Terra gulped. She had not wanted to be found, that was for sure. Was the same true of Locke? The last Returner on their roster?

But then, Terra got an idea. Edgar! He had been close to Locke, hadn't he? Maybe he would know something. Terra marched down the corridor to Edgar and Sabin's room, knocking politely. She was determined to aid Celes in her search in some way, as repayment for what had happened in Mobliz. Sabin opened the door, and smiled.

"Hi, Terra."

"Is Edgar in there?" Terra blinked. "I need to speak with him."

"I'm always here for you, baby." Edgar grinned, pulling the door back more and making his appearance.

"Good." Terra said, ignoring his comments. "Where can we find Locke?" She was so straightforward that it actually surprised Edgar a little, and he stepped back some.

"Well, Terra, I'm afraid that if we knew, we would have found him by now."

"But you were like his best friend." Terra protested. "Is there something he could be doing now that he was maybe picking up from before the Returners got heavily involved in the rebellion against the Empire?"

"I'm not sure." Edgar replied sadly. "Locke isn't like "my best friend". Granted, we became close during the rebellion, because he was a thief, and I was a king...not likely comrades, which threw off the enemy nicely. And yeah, we did end up sharing a lot of each other's secrets. But Locke naturally kept a lot to himself." He paused. "The only thing that I can imagine might be on Locke's mind after all this time is...Rachel."

"Rachel?" Terra blinked. "His dead fiancée?"

"Yeah." Edgar nodded. "Well, not quite dead, as gross as that sounds. I do know that before he got involved with the Returners, he was always on the hunt for that one thing that could possibly bring her back to the land of the living. But, I can't imagine where such a thing would be, and considering Locke hasn't even checked in with that weird herbalist freak in Kohlingen...that tells me he's been out of touch with people for a while."

"Oh..." Terra shook her head. "It's a good clue, but it's not something I want to tell Celes."

"Why?" Edgar asked, and Sabin looked at him.

"Well, if you were Celes, wouldn't you want to hear good news?"

"It IS good news, in a way." Edgar pouted. "We might know what Locke is up to."

"But I don't think Celes would want to know he is still involved with Rachel." Terra said gently, and Edgar blinked.

"Hey...one of the first things I told her when I met her...was to not fall for him."

"She probably just thought you were being an idiot then." Sabin sighed. "You're right Terra...I guess you're better off not saying anything at all."

Terra sighed, taking that moment to go back to her room and think. She wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do. Sitting down on her bed, Terra looked over at Atma's hilt on her nightstand, and sighed.

Some leader she was. She couldn't even find a missing friend. How had Celes gathered all of these people together again on her own?

"Terra...you're the one who brought us all together."

Terra remembered Celes' kind words, but mentally dismissed them. The Magicite of her father was also beside Atma, glowing faintly. Terra sighed, and flopped back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Locke Cole, come out, wherever you are!" She suddenly screamed. However, right at that moment, the airship gave a violent jolt, and everything started shaking. Terra gasped, the first thing coming to her mind when the airship had collapsed after their mission on the floating continent. Gulping, Terra dared herself to get out of bed and shakily make her way to the window, even though the floor was vibrating like an earthquake. Outside, Terra could not see anything unusual, besides the eerily orange full Indian Moon they were experiencing that night. Terra suddenly felt herself sliding backwards, and realized that the airship was now going down at a very direct tilt.

Screaming out for help, Terra stumbled onto her backside and slid down the freshly polished floors until she smacked against her opposite wall. Her bed followed, coming only inches away from actually crashing into Terra herself. In the rooms across from her, she could hear the confused cries of Mog and Umaro, and a long string of curses from Relm. Before anyone could warn her, there was suddenly a violent crashing sound, and Terra felt herself literally bounce a foot in the air. The airship came to a sliding stop, and when she was jerked forward from the whiplash, her door also flew open.

After that, everything was quiet.

"Ugh..." Terra whimpered, finally managing to pull herself to her feet. She slowly walked to her doorway, and saw that a few others had flown open. Gau was in the hallway, looking as confused as ever, and Cyan was with him.

"Are you all right, Miss Terra?"

"I'm ok, except for my butt." Terra replied bluntly. Cyan slightly wrinkled his nose. He did not have an affinity for the word "butt". More doors opened, and everyone else stepped into the corridor, apparently not harmed. However, there was a certain someone missing...

...Setzer.

Terra ran into her room to grab Atma and her radio, taking things into her own hands. She quickly flipped the radio on, and began to speak into it frantically.

"Setzer? Setzer?"

"...Crackle.... Terra...?"

"Setzer, where are you?"

"...Buzzzzz...zzz.... Outside..."

Terra clipped the radio onto her belt, sheathed Atma, and went into the corridor, where she found everyone chattering. As she ran past them to get to the door that would take her out, Celes caught her arm.

"Where are you going?"

"I just radioed Setzer...he says he's outside."

"Let me come with you." Celes said, and Relm suddenly barged between the two girls.

"I'm coming tooooo!"

"No you're not!" Strago cried. "We don't know where we are!"

"That's the point, Grandpa." Relm whined. "Gods, get some adventure, would ya?" With that, she ran outside, before anyone else could protest. Terra and Celes looked at each other.

"Strago, you go with her." Celes finally decided. "I'll stay here."

"Relllllm!" Strago cried, bolting off the ship after her. "Don't get into trouble!"

"Terra." Celes looked at her, and Terra blinked. "Go find Setzer and find out where we are...I'll stay on board and look things over."

"And we'll check out the engine room!" Edgar and Sabin declared at the same time, and with that, turned in the opposite direction.

"Be careful." Cyan said.

"Yeah, Kupo!" Mog squealed. "Hurry back!"

"Right!" Terra smiled, and with that, followed Relm and Strago.

Outside, it was pitch black out. As Terra looked up, she realized she couldn't even see a star in the sky thanks to the heavy clouds covering them up. In the distance, she thought she heard a soft roar. Looking around, Terra gasped, not believing her eyes.

The roaring sound was waves crashing onto the shore surrounding her...and it was then that she realized they were on an extremely tiny island. Standing where she was, Terra could easily see the opposite end of the land. Strago and Relm were hunched over a big chunk of the airship that had dismembered itself and was on the ground, and there also was Setzer, hunched over it and mumbling.

"This is going to take a while to repair..."

"You guys!" Terra called, and came over. "Are you ok Setzer?"

"I'm fine, but The Falcon is going to need some work." Setzer replied sadly. "We're not going anywhere for a while."

"Any tools you want me to get you?" Terra asked, and Setzer nodded, peering where the piece of the airship had come off.

"I have a big chest of them in the engine room," Setzer replied. "And while you're in there, tell the others to go around and make sure anything that runs on the airship's power is off. I don't want to risk anything exploding or something..."

"Of course," Terra said, and with that, bolted back to the doorway of The Falcon. When she stepped inside, she ran into Mog, and told him what Setzer had instructed him to say. Mog skittered away to tell the others, and Terra stepped into the engine room, walking around carefully and trying to spot the chest in the darkness of the room. She reached down, unfastened her radio, and clicked it on.

"Setzer, can you maybe be a little more specific about the tools? It's too dark in here to see anything."

"Try going near the back," Setzer replied. Terra could hear Relm and Strago chattering in the background, arguing about what Esper would be the best one to provide light to see. Setzer sighed, and Terra snapped out of her trance, moving back more to seek out the chest.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't help but think this is some sort of premonition," Setzer replied, and Terra blinked, kneeling down as she responded.

"Premonition?"

"I suspect we were on what might have been Triangle Island in the old world," Setzer said, and Terra snapped open the latch on a chest underneath her fingers, pulling open the lid and feeling around to see what was inside.

"Triangle Island? Is that a bad place?"

"It is for me," Setzer sighed again, and the radio crackled a little. "This is where...where the search party found this ship when it wrecked. When...Daryl wrecked." Terra gasped softly, nearly dropping the radio. She slightly remembered Setzer mentioning Daryl, the person Setzer was "mad" about when he was younger. Daryl had died in an airship crash, that much Terra knew. Setzer had never mentioned anything else to her.

"Um...Daryl's grave...it must be here then, right?" Terra turned red. She felt extremely insensitive at that moment.

"No, her tomb is near Kohlingen," Setzer said dully. "No body was ever recovered." Terra let out a slight yelp right then, a heavy metal tool in the chest rolling over her fingertips. She dropped the radio in surprise, yanking her hand out of the box and investigating her throbbing fingertips.

"Darn it..." Terra cursed softly, and the radio began to spout out annoying static. Quickly turning it off, Terra flexed her fingers and sighed. "Poor Setzer...I'd better hurry up so that we can get out of here...I bet he thinks Daryl is calling her ship from the grave." Terra shivered some, scooping up an armload of tools, and running out of the engine room as fast as possible. As she passed by a small window, she could have sworn that she saw a dark shadow loom by. Glancing out a second time, she didn't see anything.

Bursting outside, Terra ran around the side of The Falcon and came to a complete stop, dropping some of her tools. The spot where Setzer, Relm, and Strago had been standing just moments before was empty. Terra narrowed her eyes, walking closer, and smelled something...absolutely wretched. It was a moist cross of bad eggs and rotted meat, and it was coming from...

...Jelly-like slime slicked over the dead grass where Setzer was kneeling.

"Eww..." Terra gasped, dropping the rest of the tools and covering her mouth and nose. "This is..." She looked around, trying to make sense of the situation, but came up with nothing. Everything was the same, except now covered in flem-colored slime. Reaching around with her free hand, she tried to grab her radio, but realized with a gasp she had abandoned it in the engine room. Just as she turned to get it, she heard a low gurgling noise, and felt the ground tremor slightly. Withdrawing Atma, Terra bit down on her lip and slowly turned back around. Looming before her was a tall, quivering mass of a creature, which was shaped like some freaky obese worm covered in dirt and pulsating slimy, hairy skin. It was at the very least ten feet wide, with rolls of fat and dripping slime making up its frame, the only possibly thing to give it a distinguishing head the dark hole at its tip, bubbling over with more slime. Terra realized with horror that the smell had become twenty times stronger now, each hot wave of breath the worm released polluting her to her pores as it blew over her.

"Gurrrrrrgul..." The worm-thing garbled, huge bubbles of slime forming on its head and exploding with a loud "pop!" Some of the popped juices flew onto Terra, warm and sticky on her pale skin.

"Ahhh!" Terra cried, quickly brushing them off, not having any idea what they had the potential to do to her. "Where are the others?!" She swung Atma, and to her horror, watched as the worm lowered its head and began to make a queer sucking sound...almost like a vacuum. Atma flew out of her hands as if they were butter, and with a squish, flew into the worm's mouth and disappeared from sight.

"Oh my gods!" Terra screamed, backing off immediately. She knew that this was going to end badly. As she turned to run away, she felt the hair in her ponytail begin to whip back in a violent wind. She heard the vacuum noise grow louder and louder, and it became harder to command her muscles to run. Her legs began to feel tired and heavy, and in seconds, her feet were lifted from the ground, and she was flying backward!

"HELLLLP!" Terra screamed, outstretching a hand and closing her eyes tightly. She felt something warm, wet, and squishy suddenly absorb her feet, and the slimy feeling crept up her calves, her thighs, her abdomen...Her thoughts and unexecuted efforts swirled inside her head as waves of nausea and slime drowned her senses.

The stench was overwhelming, and Terra blacked out before she could feel the sickening sensations crawl up her neck and face.

"Hey, her eyes are opening!"

"Terra!"

Terra gasped and suddenly sat straight up, panting out and coughing. She couldn't believe the wild nightmare she had just had. Reaching over to gently adjust her oil lamp for more light, Terra smiled slightly and shook her head. She had probably hit her head worse than she thought before when The Falcon crashed...but Setzer had probably fixed everything by now.

"Terra...uh...what are you doing?"

"Where's my lamp?" Terra asked casually, and felt around the empty air. She suddenly gave another deep cough, spitting up slime into her lap. She gasped out some and looked down, widening her eyes and dropping her hand to her side. Setzer kneeled beside her and waved his hand in front of her face.

"Terra...you ok?" Terra blinked and looked around. It hadn't been a nightmare. She suddenly realized her excursion with the worm had been very real, and very stinky. Groaning, she pulled out a handkerchief and tried to wipe away the slime. After getting the majority of it off, she cast it aside and prayed she would never see it again. However, she was extremely relieved to see her friends were with her and that they were safe.

"I'm...ok now." Terra sighed, and rubbed her forehead. "Where are we?" When she had glanced around, it almost looked like they were in some sort of a cave. Tiny trickles of light came from the ceiling above them, although it was very high. Sitting in front of her were Relm and Strago, each with the same perplexed expression on their faces.

"This is an educated guess," Strago said, stroking his goatee and wrinkling his brow in thought. "But if my knowledge of monsters still serves me well...I'd say we were just dumped here courtesy of a Zone Eater."

"A what?" Setzer asked, exasperated.

"A Zone Eater," Relm lectured in her most bossy voice, "is a monster that was previously thought to be extinct. It was only recently that scholars did research and discovered that there were still a few alive, but they rarely, if ever, surface in their lifetimes, and only tend to do so when something invades its territory. It has extremely sensitive senses, and can pick up sound or the feeling of footprints from over five miles underground. It's called a Zone Eater because of its reputation for eating anything and everything that is in its way...it could level a city in probably just minutes, if it ever decided to crawl out and get one. However, they are actually shy creatures, and live only where they know they can habituate alone."

"Shy creatures?!" Terra burst. "That thing was NOT shy."

"I'll say." Setzer muttered.

"But if you'll notice, it didn't kill us," Strago pointed out. "These creatures have the amazing ability to choose what they want to digest for nutrients and what they don't. It spared all of us and deposited us here."

"But where is "here"?" Terra asked softly. "And how do we get out?"

"The only way to go is forward." Relm said, pointing ahead. "So I suggest that's where we go."

"Right." Terra said, standing up and stretching slowly. "We need to hurry up and get back to the others...they are going to flip out if we're not there...and if they go outside..."

"The Zone Eater will get them!" Strago cried.

"Ok, so we've all agreed to go forward," Setzer said a little nervously. "So..."

"So let's go!" Terra cried impatiently, starting to run ahead. "This place is too quiet...we need to escape!" As she dashed ahead, she spotted something glowing a little ways forward. She suddenly gasped out and stopped as she reached a sharp cliff, her boots kicking over some rocks that rolled over the edge and fell without a sound of them hitting any ground below. The glowing thing was closer now, but Terra realized that it was on a raised piece of rock that was in the middle of the impossibly dark cliff she had nearly just fallen over. The others caught up to her, and Relm panted out softly.

"This is it!? A bloody cliff?!"

"No...I see something moving!" Strago cried, narrowing his eyes. "Look over there!" The others turned, and a few feet away, Terra could start to make out long stretches of bridges that went to different raised platforms and ultimately crossed across the chasm to the other side of the cave,

where the glowing item rested. However, crossing some of the bridges were short figures, at an extremely rapid pace.

"Are those...other people?" Terra gasped.

"But why are they just running in the same place?" Setzer blinked. "I guess there's only one way to really find out...ask them."

With Terra leading, the Returners crossed the first bridge safely, and came to a land platform. In order for the team to cross, they needed to leap to another platform and continue on the bridge from there. Running up and down the bridge to their left was one of the short figures, and it was dressed entirely in green with an odd cap with a wide brim that nearly covered its face. It looked very much like a person, but something about it was...off.

"Hey!" Terra called, "What are you doing here?" The figure, however, didn't heed her, and continued sporadically running from place to place on the bridge. It would pause for a few moments, turn around, and immediately start to run again. Terra and the others looked at each other nervously.

"Why do I have the feeling it wouldn't stop for us?" She asked.

"These guards could be absolutely ancient." Strago breathed a little in awe. "They must be protecting something valuable."

"Whatever." Relm muttered, and took a jump to the other platform, marching right up to the green guard. "Listen, we need you to get out of our way...AHHHHHH!" She let out a howl as the guard simply flew by her, pushing her out of the way and sending her tumbling over the edge! Terra gasped out, falling to her knees and pointing her hands towards the falling body.

"FLOAT!!!!"

A burst of gold glittering light and soft white feathers suddenly exploded over Relm, glittering wings appearing on her back and flapping gently as they lifted her to safety on the other side of the second bridge. Relm cried out happily as her feet touched ground and began to howl.

"DIRTY SONS OF BITCHES!!!"

"Hold on Relm!" Strago called. "We'll be there in a moment!" He turned to Terra. "Can you cast that on all of us?"

"Of course." Terra replied. "But first..." She folded her hands together, and in seconds, began to glow and make her transformation. When she became a full-fledged Esper, she cast a group Float spell, and slowly guided the others to where Relm was waiting. After crossing that bridge, they encountered one more guard. Learning from her first time, Relm obediently waited for Terra to

guide them across through the air to the other side of the cave. Once she had landed, Terra approached the glowing item. Standing there, stuck in the ground, was Atma.

"Thank goodness!" Terra exclaimed, and pulled it out of the ground easily, sheathing it back in her belt. "I thought I had lost you for good!"

"Now where to?" Setzer asked, and Strago pointed ahead.

"I see an opening in the wall there," Strago said. "Shall we try it?"

"We really have no choice." Terra sighed. "Let's...do this."

This time, with Setzer leading, the group crossed through the opening and came into an area that was strangely flat, stretched out...and completely normal. There were raised rock walls in front and beside the team, and Terra figured that they would have to go around in a semi-circle before they could see where they could go next.

"I don't see any nasty little green men here." Relm snorted.

"Nor do I..." Strago sighed in relief. "What luck for us!" Terra perked her ear and bit down on her lip, hearing a strange, soft rumbling noise.

"What...what is that?" She asked, and as if to answer her, there was a sudden, deafening crash, and dust flew up and clouded everyone's vision. The ground trembled, and Relm lost her footing and fell on her backside. As Terra hacked and rubbed her eyes, she could see that what had been an open space before them just moments before was now rock wall. And, to further her astonishment, that wall began to lift up, slowly, until it was hanging high in the air above them, and the room was flat and clear once more. Moments later, there was another crash, and as the dust settled, the mysterious wall could be seen once again, before being lifted back into the air.

"A collapsing ceiling?!" Strago gasped. "Incredible! Not only guards, but booby traps as well? We must be getting closer to something...this place is loaded down with defense magic..."

"How are we supposed to get through?" Relm asked. "There is no way we can run across in time before the ceiling falls back down." As if to punctuate, the ceiling made another crash landing, shaking the ground violently.

"There has to be some sort of trick." Setzer said, rubbing his chin. "Sure, it's gotta be hard to get through, but it can't be impossible...right?"

"I have an idea." Terra said as the ceiling lifted. "But I have to wait until it collapses again." No one spoke another word as they waited, and when the ceiling crashed back down, Terra lifted off from the ground and quickly flew over the top of the rock wall, looking around. Just as it started to lift back up, Terra sailed back over to the others, a big smile on her face.

"What?!" Strago asked.

"It would appear that it is not impossible to cross." Terra said, folding her arms under her chest. "You see, in the ceiling, there are holes big enough for about two people. If someone stood exactly where the hole was, and ran to the next hole as the ceiling lifted back up, they could cross safely."

"Brilliant!" Relm grinned. "Terra, you can fly by the holes, and show us where to step!"

"Er...yes, I suppose I could." Terra said nervously. "But to be safe, I think only one of you should go at a time. Who wants to do this first?"

"I will." Setzer said, and cracked his knuckles. "Terra, you get out there first, and find the closest and first hole. I'll run just as the ceiling starts to lift, and position myself under you."

"All right, that sounds...interesting." Terra gulped nervously, and flew out as the ceiling crashed back down to the ground. Flying over the closest hole, Terra could not help but cringe and close her eyes as the ceiling lifted...leaving her untouched. As soon as he could, Setzer dashed out to Terra, and she flew above him so that they could both fit. A few moments later, the ceiling crashed down, and Terra felt as if she were about to wet herself as the rock walls slid past her and exploded against the ground. Shaking her head and trying to snap out of it, she quickly flew out of the little pit and found the next closest one, quickly flying over and landing in it as the rock began to lift again. Setzer followed successfully, and the twosome slowly, but surely, crossed all the way through the cave. At the end, Terra quickly calculated that the area around the exit of the cave would not be affected by the ceiling, and sent Setzer out on his own. He crossed through the exit easily enough, and Terra had to fly all the way back and start over.

It was tedious, but eventually, Terra managed to safely cross all of the Returners, and got to pass through the exit herself. She was expecting to see something even more horrifying than the collapsing ceiling, but to her surprise, the room was nothing but a few bridges and treasure chests. The chests were positioned between where bridges had collapsed, and they all led to a single, wooden doorway. Terra took this time to undo her transformation, and looked to the others.

"All we have to do is cross the bridges, right...?"

"And dodge the treasure chests," Relm moaned. "Oi."

"This is nothing compared to that last room." Strago panted. "I'm getting too old for this!"

"Oh, shut it, oldie!" Relm said. "If you didn't want to come, you shouldn't have came!"

"I came to protect your skinny ass!" Strago barked, and Terra felt herself break into a sweat.

"You guys..." She smiled. "...Are too funny!"

"It's not going to be funny when we're trapped in here forever!" Setzer cried.

"All right, all right." Terra shook her head. "You're right. Let's just hurry up and see what they're going to throw at us next."

After carefully crossing the bridges, the Returners reached the door. Taking a slight breath, Terra gently pushed it open, and stepped inside.

The cave ahead of them almost looked exactly like the one they had first started in. Ahead was a small bridge, which led to a platform of stone and dirt. A shining ray of light was pouring from the ceiling, and basking in it was a figure enshrouded in robes of countless colors and designs. Its face was also completely covered, save for a pair of pretty violet-blue eyes. A puffy yellow hat with various scarves wrapped around it and pointy brown boots poking out from underneath the robes completed the ensemble. As soon as Terra stepped in, the figure looked up, and watched her suspiciously. Terra swallowed, not quite knowing what to say or do at this point. She didn't know whether to flee for her life or prepare for a battle. However, one thing was clear: This was the end of the line. There were no exits or entrances within this cave, and therefore, no where else to go.

Slowly, in an almost inept gesture, the figure raised its hand and made a "come here" motion. Terra, with the others behind, slowly crossed the bridge, and walked up to the person. The figure looked Terra over, looked the others over, and finally spoke in a voice that was soft, yet firm, and soothing, yet commanding. Terra realized it could belong to either a man OR a woman.

"Hello. I am Gogo, master of simulacrum...My miming skills will astound you." Right as Terra reached up to brush away a hair, Gogo did the same, and followed through with the same tender grace Terra held in all her actions, no matter how minor, and their hands cut through the air at the same exact time. Terra gasped a little, and Gogo did as well, both raising their hands to the hearts. Eventually, Gogo stopped, and started to laugh softly.

"Ahh, yes, I have been idle too long!" It was hard to tell, but a smile may of come over Gogo's features right then, for its cheeks rose just a bit against the scarves. Terra sighed some, and Gogo blinked.

"We're lost." Terra finally admitted. "We were swallowed by a Zone Eater and deposited here...we have to get back to the surface world...there are many things we have to do."

"What?" Gogo blinked again, and adopted Terra's stance, with her arms crossed. "If I deem you worthy, I will mime your actions in battle. But first, tell me what you're doing here." Terra didn't know quite how to reply to the miming offer, but she told Gogo their story anyway, in a nutshell version. When she was finished, Gogo turned, paced in a circle, and finally stopped in front of Terra again, matching her confused expression.

Who is this guy?? She thought to himself. Erm...well, who is this girl...or guy...

Gogo jumped up suddenly, and clapped its hands.

"What an unusual tale...This should be fun! When do we leave?" Terra's jaw dropped, and Setzer cleared his throat.

"Ahem, we can't leave...did you forget that we were sort of brought here against our own will?"

"I just asked when we were leaving." Gogo replied. "I did not imply that we knew of an exit." Relm marched up to Gogo, and suddenly, before anyone could stop her, grabbed its chest. Gogo looked mildly surprised, and Relm felt around suspiciously.

"I...ah...umm.." Relm pulled back a few minutes in a huff, and put her hands on her hips. "Ye Gods, what are you? A man, or a bloody woman?!" Gogo shrugged and gave a wink.

"If you can't tell, then neither can I."

"ARG!" Relm cried. "You frustrating bastard! Or bitch!!"

"Relm!" Strago cried, and Gogo chuckled.

"It is ok. She's a curious one, that's all."

As Terra was wracking her brains trying to figure out what do to do escape; Gogo suddenly took her hand, and gazed into her eyes.

"Terra, is it?"

"Y...Yes..." Terra replied, flustered slightly.

"Being that I am right next to you, I can perform any magic you can." Gogo smiled. "But being that I am not you, I can also see some things you can't."

"Excuse me?" Terra blinked.

"There is a spell that you can use to escape." Gogo winked. "Why don't you try it?"

"What?" Terra gasped, "I know a spell that can help us?"

"You do, but you've probably never found it useful since when you learned it," Gogo replied, twirling a scarf innocently, "It is commonly thought of to be of use for escaping leering monsters, and not so much a dungeon of this caliber." Terra paused for a moment, and then widened her eyes.

"Oh, of course! The Warp spell!"

"What?!" Relm shrieked. "You mean you knew how to escape this whole time, and you never told us?! We totally blew a lot of valuable time here!"

"But if we hadn't continued, we would have never met Gogo here." Strago chuckled. "Destiny at work again!"

"Destiny, indeed." Gogo stroked an invisible goatee as Strago stroked his own.

"Well, I didn't really know!" Terra protested to Relm, and Gogo giggled.

"Go ahead, give it a shot. She'll just whine if we keep talking."

"WHAT?!" Relm growled. "Say that again, you son-of-a..."

"WARP!" Terra suddenly cried, and the room faded to a brilliant white. As Terra looked around her, she realized she couldn't see anyone but herself, and she felt like she was flying a million miles per hour.

"You guys?!" Terra cried, rubbing her eyes from the painful white light. "You guys...!"

THUMP!

"Ow..." Terra moaned, blinking, and gasped out.

She was back on the deck of The Falcon. Moments later, the others appeared as well, including Gogo, and all fell to the deck in a clutter. The sky was light blue, with not a cloud in sight, and the sun was shining brightly. At the sound of bodies crashing against the deck of The Falcon, Edgar and Sabin ran upstairs, and gasped when they saw their friends, plus one stranger, safe and sound on the ship.

"You guys!" Edgar cried. "You're all ok!"

"Of course we are!" Relm chirped, and glared at Terra. Terra laughed nervously, and stood up.

"I'm afraid we got a little lost."

"A little lost?!" Celes suddenly barked, climbing to the deck herself and looking very cross. "You got lost on an island this size? We spent all night looking for you..."

"It's a very long story, Celes." Terra sighed. "But I'll be sure to tell you later."

"You'd better!" Celes exclaimed, and Sabin blinked.

"Hey, who's the new kid?"

"This is Gogo!" Terra exclaimed, jumping to Gogo's side. "Gogo helped us escape...and offered to join us in our fight!" Gogo nodded, and tipped its hat slightly.

"I see you have mastered all the blitzes, Sir. We should practice together sometime." Sabin widened his eyes.

"You know Blitz?"

"I do now." Gogo replied cheerfully, and looked around. Sabin felt slightly confused. "I thought you said there were more of you Returners, Terra?"

"Oh, a ton more." Terra smiled. "I'll get everyone up here to introduce you! And after that, Setzer can get to fixing the airship, and we can be on our way!" With that, she hurriedly ran down the deck stairs. Edgar and Sabin started grilling Relm and Strago about getting lost.

"Wonderful." Gogo sat on the rail of the ship. "I look forward to it." Gogo leaned backwards; staring upside down at the damage The Falcon incurred. Setzer began to release the ramp so that he could go down and start his repairs. As he walked down, Gogo kept its eyes on him the whole time, and chuckled. Kneeling down, Setzer just happened to look up, and caught Gogo staring at him.

"What?" Setzer asked, a little irritated. The truth was, he was happy to have escaped, and even happy that they had more help for their final fight...but it was all overpowered by the fact that they were still on -that- island...that they couldn't seem to leave it fast enough.

"You don't like it here, do you?" Gogo questioned, and Setzer shook his head, picking up a tool.

"No."

"Any particular reason?"

"Yes."

"Mmm..." Gogo nodded, as if it understood perfectly, which just irritated Setzer more. "I'm lucky you guys came here. I've been bored out of my mind. I haven't had any visitors since..." Gogo trailed off. "...Hmmmm."

"You're so weird." Setzer suddenly blurted out, and Gogo turned to him.

"I'm just happy. I never thought I would fly again."

The way Gogo spoke sounded strangely eerie, and Setzer could not help but glance up at the odd figure, which had turned its back to him.

He watched Gogo carefully, and for a moment, flirted with an obnoxious, impossible dream. His heart began to pound against his chest, and he felt his breath quicken with a strange anxiety. But, as quickly as it came on, it also faded. Setzer caught his breath, looking away from Gogo and back down at the mess that was The Falcon. Reality quickly settled in once more, and Setzer sighed, reaching for a new tool.

"....No." Setzer whispered to himself, and shook his head, smiling a little. "No...She would make it more difficult."

The newest Returner yawned and flipped upside down on the railing again, looking around, and spotting Setzer hard at work. However, something was off. The mime did a double take, and blinked.

For a moment, Gogo was sure Setzer had tears in his eyes.

Chapter Forty-Four - Eternal Life: Locke Cole

Celes groaned as she felt The Falcon give another shutter, and felt her bed rock. Her oil lamp flickered, casting funny shadows on the letter she was reading in bed.

Of course, the letter was none other than the one from the former Emperor Gestahl, although who it was truly addressed to, no one knew. She had read it at least ten more times, over and over, trying to figure out just exactly what it meant. Where was the place where the mountains formed a star? Was it literal, or metaphorical? Did this place even exist anymore, since the world had become pretty much disfigured from its former self?

Despite not exactly having met up with Kefka since one year prior, Celes began to feel a fierce urging for the Returners to make their move. She had a sickening feeling in her stomach that he would not remain idle for much longer before doing something else drastic to get the world's attention on him once more. She didn't even have a clue as to whether or not he knew the Returners were alive yet.

Meanwhile...

The man before him looked like he had been living off of pocket lint for a week, and was parched to the very bone, but still, Kefka did not care. He smirked, his lips curling awkwardly just to the left side of his face as he took the sniveling figure in, just his bony ankles exposed underneath the huge pile of red and white robes he wore. Kefka knew slightly of this kind...they called themselves "The Fanatics", and apparently worshipped Kefka from afar in their very own tower not too far from his own. However, all he regarded them as were a bunch of derelicts, and paid them no mind. If they were even slightly amusing, that would be a different story, but...

...But this dedicated young man DID decide to make a trip all the way up Kefka's perilous tower JUST to see him, which was probably more than any of his cohorts could even grow the nads to do. So, Kefka decided to be merciful, and hear him out before he tried out some of his newest magic tricks.

"So, what brings you here?" Kefka asked casually, and the man gasped, falling to his knees and panting as he tried to bow his head.

"Oh Lord Kefka...sweet Kefka, something unusual happened that I thought you must know of right away..."

"Oh really?" Kefka laughed, bouncing up in his seat a little. "So you thought something extraordinary happened, and yet I did not already hear of it? What do you think I am, stupid?"

"Ah...NO!" The fanatic cried. "It is just that I witnessed this before my very own eyes, and I thought it critical that you should know, my lord."

"Oh.." Kefka giggled. "Very well then. What did you see that you say will absolutely fascinate me? Which, by the way, if it doesn't, I will use you to feed my precious Atma."

"Lord Kefka," the man gasped, climbing back up from his knees. "While at the tower of fanatics, we were invaded, and one of our members were stolen away…" Kefka raised one of his painted eyebrows. Who would want to invade such a dreary place? This certainly was interesting. Even Kefka wouldn't set foot there if he didn't have to.

"Is that so?" Kefka pushed his lips into a line so thin, they nearly disappeared from his face. "What am I supposed to do about it? I am not going to look for this lost member of yours…I have too much to do on my own. It seems that none of my creatures here is capable enough to locate the treasure I have had my eyes on as of late…"

"My lord, if you should request it, we would seek out any treasure you desire," the man replied, bowing again. "But we are not worried about the man who left us. We are worried about those who took him away. It was a band of females, three of them."

"Three?" Kefka narrowed his eyes. "…What were they like?"

The man paused for a moment, recollecting his memory so that he could give Kefka the best description possible without hesitation. He did not want to be accused of being a liar or a time-waster.

"Two of them were tall…" He began, closing his eyes, "The last short, a child. One of the tall women had long, corn silk-blonde hair, and eyes of blue. She was pale, wearing tattered leather pants and a violet top. The other…had long, flowing green hair, a rich color I have not seen since…" He paused and did not notice Kefka narrow his eyes further. "…She was wearing a faded red dress, mud-caked boots, and had a peculiar ruby pendant…but her eyes were frightening. They were filled with an aura that I suspect was not entirely human…" By this time, Kefka's lips began to curl into a slick smile. He suddenly let out a short giggle, causing the man to look up at him abruptly.

"My lord?"

"And the girl!?" Kefka shrieked in laughter. "What of the small girl!?"

"Uhhh…" The man began to shake slightly, afraid of what had come over Kefka. "She was shortest…fuzzy blonde hair, big blue eyes…"

"And a ridiculous hat?!" Suddenly Kefka jumped up from his seat, laughing manically and holding his stomach. The man stumbled backwards and blinked.

"Y…yes my lord."

"I KNEW IT!" Kefka howled, raising his arms into the air and shaking violently. Lightening erupted around them and crashed into the rock, dirt-splattered floor, causing small smoking craters to appear. The man squealed as lightening struck beside his leg. "AND THE REST OF THEM…WERE THE REST THERE AS WELL?"

"The rest…I only saw women…" The man stuttered, which just made Kefka laugh harder.

"I knew that they would be back…" Kefka calmed slightly, lowering his arms and causing the lightening to stop. He cackled softly, a smirk on his lips. "I knew not even the Earth could swallow up and destroy my sweet Terra…and my little ice princess…after all…they were built to withstand such…inconveniences…" He cackled again. "And even the little one came out all right…that annoying wretch. I'm sure the others are alive too…" His smirk suddenly transformed into a horrid smile, the glare of his shining white teeth intensified by his fire-engine red lips. "The bastard King and Prince of Figaro…the dirty little thief…even that spoony Moogle! HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

The fanatic blinked, too scared to move or say anything. Kefka leaned down to face him and licked his lips with his pointed tongue.

"My faithful follower…I must give them a proper welcome to Le Monde de Kefka. In fact…I think we should have a party for them, right here, in my little tower."

"Uh…yes my lord." The fanatic blinked.

"But to do that, there is something I'll need," Kefka smiled, almost affectionately. "Something I have been searching long and hard for…do you know of the Gem Box?"

"No, but I pledge my life and body to seeking it out!" The fanatic cried, placing his hand over his heart. "Anything for you my lord!" Kefka grinned.

"Of course…let me tell you about this precious toy…and then you must run home to all your little friends and spread the good word, right?"

"Oh yes, I promise!" The fanatic smiled happily, clasping his hands together. "It will be my greatest honor! But what about the invaders?"

"Do not worry about them," Kefka hissed, licking his lips again and looking up at the darkened atmosphere above.

"I want all of the Returners to come to my party safe and sound…so that I may have the divine pleasure of entertaining them."

Terra looked up from her plate when she heard footsteps. She had been deep in her thoughts and deep in a sausage link breakfast when Celes collapsed in the chair beside her, dark circles under her eyes and the letter clutched tightly in her hand.

"Sausage?" Terra blinked, holding her fork with the last link on it towards Celes. Celes wordlessly took it and started to chew, closing her eyes and sighing.

"This letter is haunting me." Celes moaned with her mouth full. "It must be important if the Emperor had it."

"Well, the Emperor's portrait technically had it." Terra smiled, but then frowned when she saw Celes wasn't amused. "Uhhh…I mean…well…you are right, I think it would be of great importance also…"

"It might be something we could fight Kefka with!" Celes cried. "It's not that I don't have confidence in our team, but we are going to definitely need some sort of edge…" She trailed off with a loud yawn.

"Good morning ladies," Gogo said, walking in and covered in layers and layers of robes and clothing, as usual.

"Good morning…er…Gogo." Celes greeted, and promptly let her head hit the table.

"She's very tired." Terra said, soothingly stroking Celes' ratty hair.

"Hence, why she should sleep more." Gogo replied, coming over and sitting across from them. "What's this?" Gogo reached by Celes' hand and gently pried the letter out of her fingers.

"It's a letter." Celes mumbled from the surface of the table. "A bloody letter."

"The treasure is hidden where the mountains form a star." Gogo read, and paused. "How vague."

"I know…" Terra trailed off, but Gogo interrupted.

"The mountains the letter speaks of are north of Miranda." Gogo explained. "They're call the Phoenix Mountains. It's said that they supposedly form a star-shape, but that might not be so true anymore. The place has some pretty intense legends behind it." Celes lifted her head from the table.

"What did you say? The mountains are by Miranda?"

"Yep."

"…." Celes blinked. "Are you SURE?"

"I'm pretty sure." Gogo said. "I mean, it's been a while, but…I'm still sure."

"Well do you know what the treasure is?!" Terra gasped happily.

"No, of course not!" Gogo laughed. "I don't know everything."

"Who cares?!" Celes cried, jumping up from the table. "We have to go! We're not doing anything else, right?"

"Setzer is almost done with all the repairs." Terra said excitedly. "Lets hurry up and get ready! I'll tell the others!"

"I don't think this is a good idea." Gogo said drolly. "There IS a reason why treasure is hidden there and people don't find it." But by the time the last words left Gogo's mouth, the girls had rushed from the room. Gogo sighed and leaned back in the chair, whistling. Phoenix Mountain wasn't exactly a picnic. At least, that was not what Gogo remembered.

"Phoenix Mountain, Phoenix Mountain!" Mog and Gau sang together as The Falcon sailed through the sky. It was drab and gray out, and the clouds looked as if they were about to burst with rain. All of the Returners were on deck, with Celes, Edgar, and Sabin keeping a close eye on their impending destination. It was difficult because of all the clouds and fog, and required all six of their eyes. The others were gathered in different groups and talking about what the treasure could possibly be that the letter spoke of. Well, those of them that could talk.

"Drrrr?" Umaro growled, and Relm petted him lovingly.

"I want to paint you SO bad!" She exclaimed. "Terra, are we almost there yet?"

"Almost!" Terra smiled, and leaned her head on Setzer's shoulder as he piloted. "Isn't this exciting?"

"This is hardly exciting to drive through." Setzer grumbled, although his pink did slightly redden at the scent of Terra's hair. "You picked up quite the sense of adventure while you were away, Terra."

"I missed you guys," Terra replied simply, smiling. "I've been telling myself we all have to start being more positive about all of this. We have to take each day in stride and make the best we can of it."

"Terra…" Setzer trailed off, looking away. Just by reading her eyes, he could see the true sentiments behind her words.

We have to make the best we can of each day…because we know all of us might not survive the final battle.

"Listen," Gogo suddenly said, adjusting a scarf and looking at all the others. "There's something you need to know. There is only one known entrance within the Phoenix Mountains. It's called Phoenix Cave, but it's not exactly just a cave."

"How do you figure?" Shadow grunted.

"The tribe that lived in Phoenix Cave were known for being rich beyond belief," Gogo explained. "And they wanted to keep it that way by keeping their treasures away from the world. They made one entrance to their dwelling, and made getting through it a literal puzzle. It's going to take teamwork to disable all the traps they have lying around. But besides having to deal with that, they also supposedly had a guardian beast."

"All of this lore sounds familiar," Strago commented. "I barely remember learning about the Phoenix tribes while I was researching magic years back. They were wiped out when an underground volcano beneath the cave erupted and flooded everything. The guardian beast might of died too."

"I wonder if the guardian beast was an Esper…" Celes trailed off, her hair whipping back from her face in the wind.

"Perhaps so," Gogo replied. "But the puzzle is a three-way, so therefore at least three people must go to disable the traps for each other."

"It's going to be too dangerous for only three people," Terra said firmly. "We have thirteen people…"

"…But one is going to need to stay behind to guard The Falcon," Setzer said. "I don't want to know what might crawl out of the mountains and attack it after all the repairs I did."

"So we'll have three groups of four," Terra concluded. "I'll lead a team."

"So will I," Setzer said.

"And I shall as well," Gogo nodded.

As they decided who would join which group, Celes, Edgar, and Sabin still kept a lookout from different points of the ship.

"Fly lower Setzer…I think I see something," Celes ordered, and The Falcon gradually lowered through the thin, misty clouds. Just below the airship was a good-sized ledge wedged between tall, looming peaks, and a large, gaping black entryway inside one of them.

"This is it!" Sabin exclaimed. "If you could just get a little lower…"

"I can't!" Setzer protested. "I'll crash this ship instantly."

"It's ok," Terra said. "I'll cast Float on all of us and we can fly the rest of the way down ourselves." Relm patted Umaro on the back and led him over to Setzer.

"Setzer, Umaro wants to stay and guard the ship," Relm explained. "He'll probably pass out from the heat if the volcanoes under the cave are still active since he is built for the cold. Besides that, he's surely the strongest and can take on anything that might attack."

"I trust you Umaro!" Setzer smiled, and Umaro gave a huge, sharp-toothed grin, growling and banging his chest and stomping the planks beneath his feet.

"Be good, ok kupo?" Mog said. "Pretend that Mog the Boss is watching you!"

"Uwaaarrrr!"

After stabilizing the ship and locking it in place, Setzer joined the others, and Terra effortlessly cast a group Float spell. See-through, sparkling wings appeared over everyone's' backs, and with a graceful leap, Terra dove first from the airship, her ponytail flying back behind her as she laughed and soared towards the cave. The others followed shortly after, and soon everyone was on the ledge, safe and sound. Their magic wings disappeared simultaneously with a burst of glitter and mist.

"Alright…let's go!" Terra said, and they filed inside, a line of designated team members behind each leader.

The heat inside the cave entryway was sweltering, to say the least, and everything was deadly silent minus the footsteps of the adventurers. The cave walls were lined with rocks in deep hues of red, orange, brown, and some were charred black. The floor was hard and stony, with sharp jabs of rocks and even some glittering crystals poking through some of the Returners' shoes.

Luckily, the radios miraculously worked well within the cave, and they facilitated the disabling of all the traps. The first roadblock in the entryway merely made for each team stepping on certain pressure points at the same time so that locked doors would open. However, once through those doors, the teams encountered many walkways blocked with tall, sharp, glittering spikes emerging from the ground. Getting through them required lots of running back and forth and hitting mechanical switches hidden on the walls. As Terra was radioed that yet another switch needed to be activated, Celes ran off to search for it, tripping and nearly impaling herself face-first on a set of waiting spikes. As she screamed out, Sabin lunged forward and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back against his chest.

"Damn…" Celes panted, closing her eyes. "Thanks Sabin…"

"Be more careful," Sabin lectured.

"I'm trying…" Celes opened her eyes and wrapped Locke's bandana tighter around her forehead to keep the sweat out of her eyes and her mangy hair. "It's the heat…it's starting to get to me a little…"

"I fear the deeper we end up going, the worse it will get…" Edgar said, walking up to them after clearing a switch.

Within the next level, Setzer's team encountered scalding-hot springs of water that had to be drained in order to reveal further switches that would open new doors. He, Shadow, Cyan, and Mog were also starting to feel the heat, especially poor little Mog and his fur coat. A grueling and sweaty hour later, Terra, Celes, Edgar, and Sabin came to a dead end, and radioed Setzer for help. However, Setzer and his team were also stuck, and had been, thinking Terra or Gogo were working on making them a new entryway.

"Hey," Gogo's radio crackled, and Gogo picked it up from one of many pockets.

"Yes?"

"Everyone else is stuck," Setzer explained. "What does it look like for you guys?"

"Mmm…" Gogo hummed and tapped a foot. "We're in a bit of a predicament."

"Well our switch is blocked," Gogo replied matter-of-factly.

"Um…how?" Setzer asked, running a little short of patience. He held the radio in the crook of his shoulder and pressed it against his cheek as he swept his sticky, silver hair into a ponytail. He could feel the sweat dripping down his now exposed neck.

"Hear this?" Gogo asked, and raised the radio. In the background, Setzer could barely hear a queer combination of growling and whistling of wind.

"What the hell is that?" Setzer demanded. "Are you guys like on a cliff or something? Do I hear the wind?"

"I think it's the guardian beast," Gogo replied calmly. "It's a big, red, scaly dragon sleeping on a platform above some stairs where a switch is. I think it has congestion, because that wind sound you hear is coming from it's nose whenever it breathes. And we might be trapped in this room, because the doors behind us closed a while back while you guys were pressing switches and all that jazz."

"Oh my Gods, don't even joke about that!!!!" Setzer screamed over the radio. "You guys could be in serious danger!"

Suddenly, the dragon let out a low, growling moan, sliding open one of two huge orange eyes the size of light bulbs, and focusing it right on Gogo.

"Oops, I better go," Gogo said. "Sleeping beauty has awoken."

There was a click, and then static.

"Gods!" Setzer cried, slamming the radio against his leg.

"What!?" Shadow demanded.

"Gogo and the others ran into…literally…what they think might be the guardian beast of this place."

"Oh no…" Cyan trailed off, his face going pale.

"He said it was a huge, red dragon," Setzer gasped. "And it woke up right when he turned off the radio."

"A dragon?!" Cyan asked. "Could the guardian beast be…one of those eight LEGENDARY dragons?" There was silence, and the team realized he was probably right. It only made sense that a dragon like that would want to reside in a place like The Phoenix Mountains.

"Kupo…" Mog whimpered. "And we don't even know where they are to get to them…"

"G…Gogo!" Relm cried. "What do we doooooo?!" She screamed as the dragon roared and took another hard swipe with his tail, striking at the walls and making rock and debris fall all around them. He extended one long, muscle-thick claw and started to make the effort of lifting his girth down the stairway. In a panic, Relm stumbled backwards and dropped her Shiva Magicite, which skidded across the ground and fell into a scalding hot spring.

"Water Rake!" Strago chanted, blasting out a whirlwind of bubbles and water at the dragon, which caused it to howl and bash its tail harder against the wall behind it. The water splashed against the shining scales and erupted into a cloud of steam.

"An excellent Blue Magic spell!" Gogo exclaimed, and projected the same stance as Strago. "Water Rake!!" The same exact spell struck for a second time, right in the dragon's eyes, causing a louder howl that by itself caused more rock to crumble around them.

"How did you do that?!" Strago cried, as Gau took advantage of the dragon's rendered blindness and dove on top of it, pounding and kicking for all his worth.

"I'm a mime, remember?" Gogo smirked. "I can do anything you can do."

"Well…in that case, keep it up!" Strago exclaimed. "We'll cast in succession!" With that, Strago cast another spell, and Gogo immediately followed, hitting the dragon from two different sides. Relm joined Gau by striking the dragon with Blizzara spells. Victory seemed to be in their grasp, when suddenly the dragon pushed up on its hind legs, throwing Gau off his back and crashing back into the wall, knocking him out easily. The dragon opened its mouth, a huge spray of fire bursting forth and instantly vaporizing the spells Strago and Gogo were casting. While the brunt of the attack

was neutralized by their magic, a hot, searing burst of energy still hit them and blew them backwards into walls as well.

Relm tumbled down the stairs, landing on her back by the spring and moaning out. The dragon fell back some, drained, but even half-knocked out, Relm could clearly see it was going to finish them off with a final fiery blow any second. Looking behind her, she could see that the others were out of commission. She couldn't even find Gau. She took a deep breath, her head turning slightly to face the spring.

Relm lifted her body and crawled over to the spring on her hands and knees. Holding her breath, closing her eyes, she quickly thrust her hand in the scalding water to retrieve her Magicite. She let out ear-piercing screams as she could feel the water boiling through her skin and the insides of her fingers, barely grasping the Magicite and lifting it into the air.

"SHIVA!" She summoned with a gasping breath. The room suddenly dropped several degrees in temperature, and snow and ice shards began to gently blow around her. The goddess of ice appeared, her perfectly-sculpted ice body bare save a cloak of pure white wrapped around her neck. She thrust out her hands, large crystals of ice and frozen snow blasting out towards the dragon. The crystals cut him all over, causing large streams of blood to drip over its pierced scales, a final crystal striking right in its heart. The dragon roared and slumped to the ground, barely twitching before disappearing in a flash of purple light. Shiva turned towards Relm, her glassy eyes falling on Relm's scalded, pink, shriveled flesh. She removed her cloak silently, wrapping it around Relm's hand and disappearing with a burst of snowflakes. Relm felt the pain instantly lessen, and when she dared look under the cloak, she saw that her hand had been completely healed.

Panting, Relm stood up and raised her hands, casting a Life spell to wake everyone up. As the dust settled, Gogo, Strago, and Gau approached her, a little battle-worn, but otherwise safe.

"Relm…did you save us?" Strago asked, and she blushed, for once in her life, humbled. "I'm so proud of my granddaughter!" He burst out, grasping her in a tight hug and kissing her all over. Gogo smiled some and Gau took her previously hurt hand, squeezing it tight and laughing as he kissed Relm too. Blushing fiercely, Relm laughed and gave him a playful kiss back on the cheek.

"We still could not have survived without each other!" She offered, feeling a little overwhelmed. Gau, who was jumping up and down and ecstatic by now, was given the honors of running up the stairs and pulling the switch. Gogo radioed Setzer, who was nearly babbling with relief on the other side of the line. As Gau pulled the switch, his finely attuned ears could pick up the sound of water rushing and a loud sizzling noise as it hit something else. A door appeared before him, and he peeked inside, gasping out.

"Uwaaao!!!!"

"They survived? Thank the Gods," Terra sighed, and jumped up a bit as a doorway opened before her. "Ok Setzer, we're going in." She gestured for the others to follow, and they stepped through the doorway, Edgar grumbling.

"Every chest I have opened in here has been empty, you know. Some treasure."

"It is a little discouraging," Sabin pouted.

"Oh my Gods…look at this place!" Celes suddenly cried, causing the brothers to look up. Terra was a little dumbfounded herself.

They were in the deepest level of the cave, where there was very little walkway, but rather a huge lake of boiling lava, which was steaming immensely, as if water had just been dumped all over it. Crossing over the lava were a few broken plank bridges, but there were mostly stepping stones that could support one person at a time, at the most. However, the most surprising part was seeing directly across the lake from them were Gau, Relm, Gogo, and Strago. To their right, across the lake, were Setzer, Cyan, Mog, and Shadow.

"Are you guys all ok!?" Terra called, and everyone called back a resounding "YES!" Her radio started to crackle, and she picked it up.

"This is Setzer. From my viewpoint here, it appears as if my team is in the middle of this little…uh…ocean. And directly across from me, I can see an entryway."

"Right, but how do we get across?" Terra radioed back.

"The bridges and some of the stepping stones have switches in them that are activated by weight," Gogo radioed in with an interruption. "I am sure of it."

"Ok, we'll each send out one person," Terra said, and turned back to the others. "Did you hear that?"

Sabin and Edgar looked at each other, each a little horrified at the idea of hopping across lava. Celes put her hands on her hips.

"I'll do it."

"Celes, no, you nearly sliced yourself up before," Edgar protested. "I'll go."

"No, no," Celes countered. "I…I'm feeling a little better now. I'm afraid I haven't been too helpful on this little trip. Let me do my part. Your armor is too heavy anyway. You'll fall in."

"Celes…" Terra trailed off, but Celes pushed by her, and before anyone could say anything else, she had climbed onto the plank bridge and was making her way towards the stepping stones in the middle. As she stepped, she triggered something that made more stones appear out of the lake closer

to the elusive entryway. As soon as Celes stepped out over the lava, she began to regret her prideful rashness. The smell of burning…whatever was burning under there, was starting to make her feel even sicker. Her bandana was completely dripping with perspiration.

Setzer was taking his team's part of the puzzle, and the wily Gau was already to the end of his stepping stones, jumping up and down anxiously awaiting for his path to further open up. Celes began to jump from stone to stone, more being revealed to her as Setzer and Gau further progressed on theirs, which she in turn opened up for them. Soon, they had all managed to arrive safely at the new entryway, where another switch was resting. Activating it, the group was amazed to see planks appear where there were none, and a bridge rising where the stones were.

"Hurry up!" Celes called, as the others began to cross the lava on the planks to join them.

"Maybe this is the end, since we're all together again," Setzer offered.

"Gau hope so," Gau muttered. "Gau is kind of sleepy."

"Celes is sleepy too," Celes moaned, reaching up to rub her forehead. When she saw that the others were getting closer, her curiosity and her craving for cooler air could contain her no longer, and she crossed through the entryway.

She found herself in a much surprisingly cooler room, and could hear the wind blowing above her. She started to climb a tall, carved-out flight of stairs and looked above her, where she could see patches of the outside sky. She didn't know for how long exactly they had been in the cave, but things had cleared up and it looked sunny again. She could hear some of the others behind her, but she continued forward. Save for the patches of sunlight pouring through the ceiling, it was fairly dark. She stumbled a little when she finally reached the top step and could hear a faint buzzing in her ears. She knew she was over exhausted and weak. She could hear Terra saying for her to wait up behind her. But in the velvet darkness, she felt something calling her forward, and it was stronger and louder than Terra's voice. The Magicite pendant resting above her breasts began glowing softly.

Blinking, Celes turned a corner and was greeted with brighter light. In the ceiling, bigger holes were made, and sunlight was pouring down from them upon a tall altar with a Magicite crystal resting upon it. The most notable thing about it, besides its greatly larger size than normal crystals, was the deep crack in the side that slithered down towards its center. Celes let out a slight gasp, amazed and wondering if she was going delusional from the steam. However, she was snapped out of her trance when she heard shuffling, and bit down on her lip. Something else was in there with her. Whatever it was bumped into the altar, causing it to shake a little. The Magicite tilted a bit, and a bent form stood up from behind the altar, stepping forth from the shadows.

Celes felt as if her heart beat had become a thundering drum. All she could hear in her ears besides the faint buzzing was the pound of her own pulse. The form was wiry and thin, dusted with dirt and tall. Their hair was streaked with light blonde and the skin was tanned, both from the unforgiving

sun. Hands with strong, but calloused fingers were half covered in leather gloves and grasping the Magicite. But the strongest feature were the eyes…brown eyes that had a sparkle in them Celes had never seen. It was something that made her both happy and sad at the same time.

"Locke…" She trailed off, suddenly becoming too aware of her dry, cracked, painful lips. "…Is that you?"

Locke widened his eyes and stepped forward, releasing the Magicite and pushing his hair back. It had grown a little longer, and he could push it behind his ears now. He parted his lips, and they formed her name, she was sure of it, but Terra's voice was what burst out.

"Celes!" Terra cried, running up from behind and holding onto her arms. Celes didn't even feel her knees buckling until Terra had reached down and pulled her back up against her. Terra looked at Celes and looked forward, crying out.

"Locke!"

Oh Gods. Celes felt her head getting light again. He's not an illusion.

The others ran up behind Terra and Celes, and Locke laughed happily, giving the whole group, and their new members, a wave.

"LOCKE!" They all exclaimed, minus Terra, Celes, and Gogo, who wasn't really sure who this guy was.

"You're all safe!" Locke smiled, and reached over, taking the Magicite and cradling it in his arms. "Behold! A legendary relic that can restore life…"

"That looks like…Magicite…" Terra blinked.

"Correct, as usual, my little scholar," Locke joked, and smiled. "Legend has it that ages ago the Phoenix was turned to stone…And many legends are based on facts. In this case, it just turns out that the Phoenix was an Esper, and it somehow sealed its own power." He frowned and looked it over. "This has some major cracks in it though…I fear it may have lost some of its power over time…"

Celes slowly curled her fingers into a fist hidden at her side, any traces of feeling being washed away by a tide of numbness drowning her body. She and Locke exchanged glances, and she summoned the strength to ask the question she knew everyone else was asking in their minds. Edgar looked down, trying to hide his face from Celes. She didn't notice. She cleared her throat, the bandana on her forehead suddenly feeling heavy and hot.

"Locke…The Phoenix…it's for Rachel, isn't it…?"

He didn't say anything, but his averted gaze clearly answered for him.

Chapter Forty-Five - Nostalgia Attack

What is going to happen?

Terra leaned over the railing of The Falcon, reaching back and tucking her bangs behind her ears that had wrestled loose from her ponytail. The last half hour had been terribly confusing and while Locke had joined them on the airship, it was only for the ride to Kohlingen. Terra leaned her head in her arms and reflected back on what happened in Phoenix Cave.

"I wasn't able to save Rachel…and because of that I lost all sense of purpose. My life will have no meaning until I right this terrible wrong."

Celes couldn't look at him. Terra remembered bleakly. That was when Celes started to complain about feeling too hot. She was pale and passed out on the way out of the caves. Sabin had to carry her out the rest of the way. I tried to talk to Locke…tried to figure out what was going on…but he didn't say much.

"So…you're going to come with us?"

"Only as far as Kohlingen…"

Terra walked past Setzer, who was piloting with a blank stare on his face. Everyone was surprised that Locke wasn't going to join them in the battle for their world with Kefka. Locke had been with them since the beginning. Locke had been with her since the beginning.

"I won't leave you until your memory returns."

Was this really it? Terra frowned. Maybe he didn't feel an obligation to the Returners anymore.

For the first time in knowing her friend, Terra wanted to give him a piece of her mind and demand what he was thinking, but a small part of her understood. She too, had almost turned down life with the Returners again, because of that emotion called love. Rachel was Locke's lost love, the reason why he decided to fight the Empire and get into this mess in the first place. If Locke got Rachel back, then he could settle down and try to live out the life they had interrupted. Terra bit down on her lip. Edgar had told her that Locke and Rachel were even engaged to be married.

Terra paused in front of Locke's door, the private room that he had locked himself in ever since the Returners had returned to The Falcon. No, she couldn't do it. She couldn't rip into Locke for trying to grasp back the shreds of his past that were being dangled in front of him.

We all want to go back to a time when we were safe, happy, and loved. Terra thought sadly. So, she turned and knocked on Celes' door instead. There was no answer. Terra sighed. Celes was still out like a light.

"Terra."

Terra whirled around, and there in his doorway, was Locke. He looked exactly the same as how they had found him in the cave, only cleaned up somewhat. Terra tilted her head. He looked funny without a bandana.

"Hi Locke." She felt strange and awkward, being reunited with the man who had potentially saved her life from evil in such a manner. She felt as if they had grown into drastically different people in just a span of one year.

"I just woke up," Locke confessed. "Which is why I haven't been around to talk to anyone…I'm actually exhausted. I haven't slept in three days. I wouldn't let myself fall asleep in that cave…I was pretty sure I wouldn't wake up!" He smiled his charming, boyish grin, and Terra cracked a smile herself.

"You look really good," Terra offered. "Really tan and…have you been working out?" She jokingly squeezed his arm. Locke laughed again.

"Yeah, I'm on the intense diet of starving for alternate weeks at a time and having to walk everywhere since I don't have a fancy airship."

"You'll have to tell me all about it sometime," Terra offered.

"Yeah…sometime…" Locke trailed off, his glance suddenly averting away from Terra's. Terra blinked and looked behind her, where she saw Celes standing in the doorway. She was staring at Locke, and he was staring right back at her. Terra could cut the tension in the air with a sword, and felt as if she were trapped between two stone walls. Celes looked a little better, some of her circles faded under her eyes and her hair actually brushed out and smoothed over her shoulders and down her back. The bandana was nowhere to be seen.

Just when Terra thought the few seconds could not drag on any longer, Celes gave an intense trademark ice glare, stepped back into her room, and slammed the door hard behind her. Locke and Terra both jumped a little in surprise, and Locke sighed, pushing his hair back. Terra leaned in against the door.

"Celes? I'm sorry…did we wake you up? Are you feeling better?"

"I was not woken up," Celes barked from inside. "I just wanted some Tonic."

"Let me get you some!" Terra exclaimed, throwing an apologetic look at Locke and running off to sweet safety. Locke frowned, turning away and going into his room, closing the door gently. He moved to his bed and climbed up into it so he could gaze out the small window. Looking outside, he could see that they were sailing over Kohlingen. He could feel his heart beating faster as the houses and trees got closer and closer.

Soon, Rachel…soon I can undo that horrible mistake…it has taken me so long, but now I can redeem both our souls…

"We're almost to Kohlingen!" Mog exclaimed from outside in the hallway, his little feet pounding past Locke's room. Locke heard a door open, the sound of heeled boots stepping outside, and then a hard crash as the door slammed back into the frame.

"Locke, is that you?" A senile voice rang out, and Locke couldn't help but cringe. He, Terra, Celes, Edgar, and Sabin were in Patriarch's basement, which had not changed a bit since any of the Returners' last visit there. The others decided to stay aboard The Falcon out of respect for the ceremony and also because most of them were not sure what was going to take place. The room was fragrant with roses and other dried herbs and flowers that were hanging from the ceilings and walls. Locke ran to Rachel's bedside, kneeling down and grasping a hand, holding onto the Magicite with his other. Terra, Edgar, Sabin, and Celes were sitting on the stairs, afraid to take up any space. Celes' heart was pounding in her chest, although she wasn't really sure why.

Maybe it was because she had never seen anyone come back from the dead before.

Patriarch was leaning back against a chest of drawers, his arms crossed over his chest and his wild white hair flying out everywhere from underneath his red cap. Locke then took the Magicite and placed it over Rachel's chest, resting her hands over it. He then stepped back, and the group waited. The room was entirely silent, until Patriarch cackled some.

"If only the Magicite didn't bear those deep cracks…I think you've been wasting your time, young man!" Locke glared at him, and if looks could kill, Patriarch would have been hitting the floor in seconds. Suddenly, the Magicite flashed a bright blue light, and an eerie whistling sound began to emit from it. Locke gasped and narrowed his eyes from the blinding light, taking another step back. The Magicite whistled again, and the room began to fill with a glowing, warm, red light.

Soft balls of white began to rise from Rachel's still frame, and they gathered in the air above her, suddenly bursting into a giant red bird, who let out a cry and spread his wings. Celes gasped as one of the wings reached out towards her, but was surprised when it merely went through her body instead of striking it. She realized she could see through the bird's form completely. All of a sudden, the bird disappeared in a flash of light, and the Magicite began to quake in Rachel's hands.

"Waaaaaah!" Patriarch screamed. "The Magicite is gonna shatter!" Seconds later, it did just that, bursting into white crystals and disappearing. A soft moan was heard, and effortlessly, Rachel rose and sat up in her bed, turning towards Locke and the group.

Her deep violet hair, so silky and beautiful, cascaded down her shoulders and curled up. Her eyes were the deepest sea green, and big. Her complexion was golden tan, like she had just awoken from the perfect sun bath. Immediately, she locked eyes with Locke, and Celes slumped back against the

steps, and looked back to Terra and the others, who were in turn staring at her. All at the same time, they turned towards the couple.

"Locke…" Rachel smiled happily, her sing-song voice filled with longing.

"Rachel!" Locke gasped, taking both her hands in his and squeezing tightly. "Rachel…Rachel…you remember me…"

"I've dreamed of seeing you…" Rachel said in a breathy moan, and squeezing back. "I wanted to hear your voice."

"Rachel…" was all Locke could manage to choke out in reply, feeling his eyes water. Rachel's smile melted into something sadder, and the sparkle in her eyes faded.

"Dearest…The Phoenix has given me so little time. I have to leave again soon…this time, I won't be able to come back. But, I have something I need to tell you." Locke frowned and shook his head slowly, feeling his eyes water more.

"Rachel…no…wait…"

"Locke," Rachel reached up, pressing a finger against his lips. "With you I was so happy…In the instant that the accident occurred, I thought only of you…and the joy you brought me. Darling…it was your face I saw when I closed my eyes. So thank you, Locke. I will never forget you."

"No…" Locke whimpered, tears pouring down his cheeks now. Terra clutched Edgar's knee, and Sabin was pale. Celes was just staring ahead, not being able to fully take in what was unfolding before her. Locke's cheeks were getting hotter, and he cried out: "Rachel!!!"

"I have to go now…" Rachel said softly, tapping Locke's lips and then grasping his hand. "I will always love you…You must now cast off the anguish you've been harboring for so long inside of you. Today, I set your heart free. You must learn to love yourself again, and regain your self-respect." She moaned out, closing her eyes and falling back against her pillows with a soft thump. With the last of her strength, she cried "Phoenix! Be reborn again! Give your power to Locke!"

"Rachel!!!!!!" Locke screamed. The warm, red glow in the room began to grow deeper, and Rachel's body faded into soft white light. It broke away into three orbs, soaring back into the air and bringing forth the red Phoenix once more. A bird's cry rang out, and in a flash, everything was gone, save for a piece of restored Magicite resting in Rachel's bed. Locke moaned out, collapsing to his knees and sobbing in his arms. Terra stood up to go to him, but Edgar stopped her, gently grasping her shoulder and shaking his head. She looked back at him and frowned, but slowly, the group stood up, taking their leave quietly. Even Patriarch took his leave respectfully, climbing up the stairs and going out the backdoor of the house to sit in the garden. On the front porch steps, the Returners looked at each other and seemed to both let out the air they were holding in for the past minute.

"What do we do?" Sabin asked.

"I think we should just go back to the ship," Edgar offered. "Um…one of us can come back here later and check up on him…I…I don't know what he could possibly want to do next…"

"Good idea…" Terra sighed. "What a mess…" The group began to walk back to the ship, and at the town limits, Celes stopped and reached into her pocket, pulling out Locke's bandana. It was freshly washed, although its age was definitely not hidden. She decided that if she didn't give it back now, she probably would never have the chance again.

"Hey," Celes said, and the others stopped and turned towards her. "I'm just going to leave this on the porch…"

"Ok Celes," Terra said. "We'll see you on board?"

"You bet," Celes tried to smile, but she was never good at forcing those kinds of things. Instead, she turned around, walking back towards the house and climbing the front steps. She reached up, tying the bandana to one of the rails, and was about to leave, when she heard the door open behind her. Glancing back, she saw Locke. He was standing there, eyes dried, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a sack. Celes turned away and stepped down, but felt her hand being grabbed. Locke sat down on the top step and pulled her down, a bit forcefully. But she sat, and his hand didn't leave hers.

"Locke…" Celes sighed, not quite knowing what to say. "Um…are you…"

"I'm ok, thanks," Locke said, smiling some. "I feel lighter than air." Celes raised her eyebrows.

"Locke…it's ok. You don't have to pretend for anyone."

"You're right Celes…I shouldn't pretend." Locke stared up at her eyes, and she felt as if the ice in her heart were actually melting. She looked away, panicked. "You shouldn't pretend either, you know?" Celes blinked and looked down at the porch.

"Thank you…for saving me. You'll never know…you'll never know just what you did when…"

"Shhh…" Locke reached up, gently tugging on her hair. She turned back towards him, and he smiled. The setting sun was blazing behind him, lighting up his hair and eyes in an even more intense way. "I'd like to know. Maybe we can sit down and talk about it after this whole Kefka mess, eh? Or do you never want to be seen with me again?" He pointed to where she had tied the bandana, and she blushed, getting it down and handing it over.

"We can sit down and talk about…but this is still yours." Locke took it and then reached up, gently pushing away her hair and tying it back on. Celes stared at his fingers as he worked, not quite wondering what she should do. Locke lowered his hands into his lap.

"You keep it, ok? Hold onto it and give it back to me when we have that chat." He smiled, and finally, Celes smiled back.

"So this means you're coming with us…?"

"From here on, I'll be alright," Locke said, and took her hand, pulling her up so they were both standing. "Now let's go! We have work to do!" Celes nodded towards the bag.

"What's up with that?"

"The treasures of the Phoenix Cave, of course," Locke winked, and Celes laughed.

"That's a pretty small sack. You've been slacking off!"

"I got everything that was in there!"

"Sure…thief."

"…WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?"

Some time later...

Edgar's palace was the perfect place to celebrate the coming together of the twelve members of the Returners, plus two new and final recruits. It was a week from the departure of Rachel, and Edgar decided that they would discuss their plans for what would come next that night at a grand dinner. During the week, the Returners gathered weapons and supplies that they thought necessary for the trials ahead. Others dispatched on The Falcon to gather information. Everything that was found would be discussed that night. Celes, in a simple gown that had been provided to her by the domestics of the palace, was standing out on the highest balcony in the palace, her hair tied back with a light violet ribbon that matched the gown. While she would have never worn a dress when she was younger, she realized that she had developed a sort of fondness for it ever since the opera. She sighed, resting her chin in her hands. Locke's bandana was tied around one of her wrists. The opera seemed like yesterday to her, and yet…truly, one year had gone by. One year of her life that she had lost forever in a coma, a parting gift from Kefka. She didn't know whether to feel angered or saddened by that fact.

The sun was starting to slowly melt into the horizon, lighting the already orange ocean ablaze in golds and reds. Next to her was Edgar's telescope, a gift to him from a lady friend ages ago. Leaning down out of curiosity, Celes peeked through the lens and made adjustments on the rim of

the scope. Beyond the short stretch of land up north that contained the Coliseum, there was the ocean…beyond that…nothing…

…except one little piece of land.

Celes made more adjustments and tried to zoom in as much as possible. She gasped out and blinked. Could it be…her island? She stepped back, her silk ballet slippers making hardly a sound. She wasn't sure, but it had been at least two months since she washed ashore in Albrook. She was in such a frenzy to leave, and she was positive that she would never want to return there again. But, now a part of her wanted to return. Just for this one time. A proper good-bye for closure of that dark chapter of her life.

Celes turned, running from the balcony and stairs that led from her chamber. Dinner was not expected to be served for at least another three hours, and she was worried that after tonight, she might not ever get the chance to return again. Celes was accepting of the fact that she might die in the next few days. But she was not accepting of the idea of dying with burdens loading down her heart.

Celes ran out into the large courtyard, where The Falcon was parked. She knew how to pilot it by herself, so without hesitation, she ran up the ramp Edgar had had made for them and began to start the engines. As she started to lift into the sky, she saw Terra run out into the courtyard, peering up and shouting something incomprehensible over the engine noises. Celes gave a short wave and flew off, punching in the coordinates closest to what she thought might be the island on the radar. Less than fifteen minutes later, Celes spotted the small patch of beach, little shack, and cliff that had been her home for a year. She slowly made her descent, letting out a slight sigh of relief when she was on the ground. Letting the engines run in the lowest gear, she stepped off the ship and heard pebbles crunch under and stab through her delicate shoes. Slowly, she walked towards the dilapidated shack, pushing open the door and peering inside.

It was just as she had left it, including the bed with the blanket that covered Cid's dead body. Closing her eyes, she still stood at the doorway, speaking softly.

"Cid…I came back…to really say good-bye this time. I…I don't know if you have been watching me from Heaven or what…but I made it off the island. I did as you said in your letter, and I found all my friends. Tonight we're going to talk about the final battle. Tomorrow, we may even be fighting Kefka. I don't know. I'm not sure if I'll live. But I'm going to fight with all of my courage and strength, the strength you gave me on this island. Plus, I'll be with my friends. I would be honored to die at their sides, and I would even be honored to die as a Magitek Knight. Please Cid, watch over me." She paused, and then stepped back, closing the door. "Sayonara…"

"But you won't die. I promised I would protect you, right?"

Celes whirled around, with wide eyes. Behind her was Locke.

"What are you doing here?" Celes blinked. "Better yet, how did you get here?!"

"Well, you kind of took me for a ride…" Locke laughed. "I was in the kitchen trying to find something to eat before dinner…and before I knew it, I was flying?"

"Oh…" Celes turned red. "I really need to pay attention to what I'm doing."

"That's ok," Locke said, and looked around. Everything was completely silent except for the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. "So…this is where you woke up."

"It is," Celes mused, looking at her baron surroundings. "This is where Cid died, as well."

"Why did you come alone?" Locke questioned. "Not that I don't believe you can't fend for yourself, but…"

"I didn't think anyone would really understand," Celes replied. "I didn't even understand…why I wanted to come back here. But, I guess in a way, it's like me closing the door on this place and truly moving on. When I woke up, I was so weak." She sighed, looking back at the cliff. "But now I feel I am at my strongest…so I guess I needed to prove something to myself."

"Sounds like you do understand," Locke offered. "But I don't think you need to prove anything to anyone…"

"…Maybe…" Celes trailed off, and stepped past Locke.

"Where are you going?!"

"I want to sit on the beach for a while…"

"Oh…" Locke took the hint and walked back towards the airship, climbing to the upper deck. Celes crossed the tiny island to the sandiest area of the beach, where she woke up after her fall. Sitting down and removing her slippers, she let the tinted water splash at her toes, and gazed out at the sunset. Moments later, however, she felt something cold and hard touch her foot. When she looked down, she saw that a piece of Magicite had washed onto shore.

"Oh…" Celes whispered, picking it up and holding it towards what remained of the sun to examine it. The Magicite had a glimmer unlike any she had seen before, even when the new Phoenix Magicite was forged. Clutching it tightly, Celes stood up, her ponytail and gown blowing back fiercely in a blast of salty wind. There was a loud commotion of "cooos" and "caaaaws" as a small flock of seagulls lifted into the wind and sailed off towards the horizon. A louder noise then erupted, and Celes looked up to see Locke hovering above her with The Falcon, hanging off the side rope ladder and extending his hand to her.

"You know who you look like down there?" Locke called loudly, and Celes smiled, slipping her shoes back on.

"Who?"

"This gorgeous opera star I know named Celes Chere. You are a dead ringer for her. You have the same hair ribbon and everything."

Celes blushed deeply, reaching up and grabbing Locke's hand with her own firm grip, climbing up his back and holding on tight as he climbed back up the rope ladder and tumbled over onto the deck. Celes accidentally dropped the Magicite, and it clattered against the wood.

"Where did you get that?" Locke asked. "It looks like it's brand new." Celes looked up at him, pocketing the Magicite safely in her gown.

"Cid gave it to me," She replied, smiling to herself. "Just now, on the beach. I think it might be his way of lending us his strength."

Chapter Forty-Six - Divided We Fall

When Terra stepped down the stairs in her evening dress, she was surprised to see Celes running inside from the courtyard. A few moments later, Locke came in also, and Terra stared as they ran two different directions. A thought came back to her that she often had about her comrades in arms….that they were a very weird group indeed. She walked towards the dining hall and gasped as she pushed open the doors. Everything was brilliantly lit, all twelve of the hall's chandeliers blazing and glittering. A couple of maids were still setting silverware and glasses, but Edgar was standing at the head of the table, observing it all. Terra at once thought he looked very regal and fine, in an all black royal garb including an ebony cape that made a deep contrast with his pulled back golden hair and ocean eyes. Edgar tilted his head some, and Terra smiled more, realizing just how handsome the King of Figaro was. However, that thought quickly faded when she realized he was just trying to peek under the maids' skirts.

"Edgar!" Terra cried, and Edgar immediately looked up, not a trace of shame on his face.

"Terra!" He exclaimed. "My, don't you look a vision tonight. White looks so beautiful on you, and your hair is so thick and voluptuous when it is down…you should take up that look more often."

"I would, but I find it difficult to fight for my life in formalwear." Terra replied dryly. He merely laughed and came to her, wrapping her arms around her waist and swinging her around as if she were his bride. Terra turned red and looked around, making sure no one could see them.

"Edgar, my dear friend, I am not your toy!"

Edgar set her down and winked.

"Not yet, my sweet…"

"Brother, honestly, you need to keep all appendages of your body to yourself," Sabin groaned, sailing in and looking very handsome himself, being that Terra had never seen him anything more then some sort of shorts and muscle shirt ensemble.

"I agree," Terra smiled, and walked towards the table, where Sabin rushed over to pull out a chair for her. Soon, the other Returners began to trickle in for their dinner appointment, all dressed in the best Figaro Castle could offer. Relm and Gau looked particularly adorable, with Relm's natural spiral curls not hidden by her hat and Gau's stylish ruffian look with his crookedly done buttons and crooked hat. Gau even pulled out Relm's chair, and everyone chuckled. When Locke tried to pull out Celes' chair, she gave him a look and he let her do it herself. The maids and domestics starting

pouring in from the kitchen, bringing every good imaginable out onto the table and serving out portions of what everyone requested. After they had finally cleared and people had food on their plates, Edgar leaned in and cleared his throat.

"Apparently, some of you have some good stories to tell," he started. "A lot has happened this week…" He frowned. "But surprisingly, Kefka hasn't seemed to make one move against us. I'm a little concerned."

"Well we haven't heard from him as of late also," Terra offered, taking a sip of wine.

"We heard something, kupo," Mog suddenly burst out, and everyone turned to the small creature that needed to sit on books to be able to reach the table to eat.

"What happened?" Edgar asked, and Mog fluttered his wings a little. Perhaps a sign of nervousness.

"Relm, Gau, Setzer, and I went back to the Tower of Fanatics to do a little exploring…"

"What?!" Strago barked. "Relm, I TOLD you were not to go anywhere without my permission last week!"

"Oh Grandpa," Relm rolled her eyes. "My trip with you was so boring that I had to do something exciting, or else I would rust." Strago looked like he was about to explode, and glared over at Setzer.

"And for Gods' sakes, you took her there!"

"Relm just said she needed a ride," Setzer winked. "Don't ask, don't tell."

"Oh my Gods…" Strago slumped down in his chair and took a huge gulp of wine.

"Let's not interrupt each other anymore," Edgar offered, because Mog looked scared to death that he had even brought things up. "Any information any one of us might have could be valuable, and we need to listen."

Wow. Terra thought, a little surprised. Edgar certainly can sound like a King when he wants to…

"Well…kupo…anyway…we went back to the tower. Since Relm had been there before, we sort of knew what to expect. There were still many people pacing around, still in the same trance, kupo. But this time, we were able to get past them and actually get into the tower. We thought it would be fun to explore." Relm grinned, and Strago polished off his drink. A maid quickly fluttered out to pour him more. "The whole Tower was cursed somehow…the only thing we could do to eliminate our enemies was use magic. They were totally invulnerable to any weapon, kupo. Luckily, we only ran into one or two people that wanted to stop us. I scared the rest away with my special Moogle Charm." Mog lifted the pink and gold pendant around his neck, and Celes blinked.

"Mog, what is that?"

"Just a little good luck charm for us small, innocent animals, kupo!" Mog winked. "And it will only ward away evil for Moogles, so don't even think about stealing it, Locke." Locke blinked out of his salivating trance as he stared at the pendant and shook his head quickly, flustered.

"Something like that wouldn't sell for anything anyway…"

"Near the top floor, we ran into something interesting," Setzer smirked. "A good-sized white dragon that seemed to love using holy magic on us."

"The Holy Dragon!" Celes cried. "Another one of the eight legendary dragons…what happened?"

"We defeated it, of course," Relm said. "And I have to say, it was easy."

"It wasn't THAT easy," Setzer explained. "But we still managed it easy enough."

"Hard part came later," Gau said. "When we got the shiny!"

"The shiny…is this." Setzer reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box. Opening it, he revealed a golden, gemstone-studded ring that glimmered in the night. However, when he pulled the ring out, it was revealed to be square shaped, and not round like any other normal ring. Everyone started passing it around for a closer look.

"The fanatics were calling it "The Gem Box"," Mog explained. "And they were mad when we took it. They said it was a treasure for Master Kefka."

"Really…" Cyan took the ring, looking it over and slipping it on his finger. Nothing happened. He shrugged, took it off, and handed it to Gogo.

"They sent a phantom after us, but it turns out The Phoenix is a really excellent Esper," Relm said. "It saved our asses a few times."

"What?!" Locke cried. "When did you swipe that?!"

"Chill out," Relm yawned. "I returned it, you didn't even notice it was gone, I see." Now it was Locke's turn to take a big drink. Perhaps his extra sensatory thief powers were fading.

"So we know that Kefka wanted this…or that they wanted to give it to him." Terra was now holding the ring, looking it over and holding it up to the light. "Does it make you invisible or something?"

"It didn't do anything to Cyan," Gogo pointed out.

"I don't know why everyone would be clamoring for a ring that made you invisible anyway," Relm scoffed. "That's a boring power."

Terra put it back in the box and set it on the table by Edgar.

"So did anything else happen?" Edgar questioned.

"Hmm, after we store The Gem Box, we just bolted out of there," Setzer explained. "But I did take the kids out for ice cream afterwards. You know, reward for good behavior and all that."

"You're lucky you're alive," Strago moaned. Relm sighed.

"Grandpa, you're never gonna believe that I can stand up for myself. I've killed two dragons now. TWO! That's not bad for an eleven year old."

"Speaking of dragons, there was also another, right Setzer?" Gogo asked. Setzer nodded.

"Gogo, Cyan, Shadow, and I were trying to get information at The Opera House, and it turns out a dragon had moved in there and no one could get it to leave. It hadn't killed anyone, but it tried to give Impresario a nasty bite," Setzer explained. "It was actually very small compared to its brethren, but…it ended up summoning an earth quake that broke the stage in half after we defeated it, so now The Opera House is going to be closed for a while."

"Perhaps that was the Earth Dragon…" Celes trailed off, counting on her fingers. "Storm, Ice, Fire, Holy, and Earth…And if it was, that means there are only three dragons left." She looked up. "Did anyone else find any more dragons while they got information?" Everyone shook their heads.

"Besides the Earth Dragon, Impresario didn't know anything," Setzer said, and gave a little sigh. "Apparently, Maria has been MIA for a little over a year…so I couldn't even steal a little kiss."

"Mmmm…so what else has occurred?" Edgar asked. "Strago, you and Relm returned to Thamasa as well, did you not?"

"We did," Strago replied. "You see, for the first time in fifty years, Ebot's Rock has risen from the ocean. It's just a tiny island with a cave on it, but in legend it was a popular site for those of us with magic in our blood to go and pray to the Espers for protection. The last time I had been there, however, was when I was much younger, a teenager. My friend Gungho and I used to hunt the monster Hidon, although it was pretty elusive. When it did show itself, it would beat us pretty badly."

"So when we went back to Thamasa, we learned that Gungho had attempted to hunt Hidon again," Relm explained. "And he was very badly hurt in bed. He asked Grandpa to avenge him!"

"But taking on Hidon in my old age sounded out of the question…" Strago sighed. "I hesitated, but seeing the look on Relm and Gungho's face snapped me out of it. I left for Ebot's Rock at once! And Relm insisted on following me, even though I told her it was too dangerous."

"The cave that Hidon was in sucked," Relm added. "There was a mystical treasure chest that demanded we fill it with Coral before it let us pass through." Edgar got a confused look on his face.

"Are you being serious?"

"Would I lie?!" Relm demanded, and the rest of the table tried not to comment.

"It is true," Strago replied. "The area around Thamasa has always been mystical and strange, even before the time of the Espers. At once, Relm and I gathered the coral. The cave was very dark and ridden with monsters…"

"Uh…yeah, those wild chickens that had gotten in there were crazy," Relm mumbled.

"But at last, we had filled the chest with coral, and he let us through!" Strago declared, getting more into it. "But suddenly, there he was…the phantom beast Hidon! He was as ugly as I remembered him, a mess of green, rotting, messy flesh with six heads! Relm and I were so brave as we struck it over and over again with our staves and cast the mightiest of blue magic spells! Finally, we struck Hidon down, and I was able to learn the greatest blue magic lore ever written in our tomes! The Grand Train!!" Cyan and Sabin's ears perked up at the idea of a magical train spell, thinking back to their little "adventure" on the Phantom Train.

"Yeah…" Relm rolled her eyes. "So we went back, told Gungho he was avenged, and Grandpa spent the entire night retelling the tale over and over to anyone who could listen. It was a party. The bad news is though, we didn't get any info about Kefka."

"Your bravery for your friend was absolute!" Cyan exclaimed, tears of joy in his eyes. "Surely you are one of the finest warriors of our land!"

"Oh Cyan, it was the battle of a lifetime…" Strago began to tell him more, and Relm looked away, resting her cheek against her hand. Edgar blinked and scratched his head. What was the battle with Kefka going to be? A bloody picnic?

"I raided all the locked buildings in Narshe," Locke offered. "I found an old shield that looked like it had been rust to start out with, and the owner of the weapon shop was holed inside his bedroom. He gave me a sword he had forged. Called it the Ragnarok."

"What's it like?" Celes asked.

"Just a sword," Locke smiled. "Pretty lightweight though. I don't know, I don't think it's anything special. Haven't really had a chance to use it yet. I find that 99 of the time most things worth anything are the things you gotta steal!"

"Oh dear!" Terra laughed a little. She was pretty sure Locke was being dead serious.

"Oh, OH!" Gau exclaimed. "Gau go back to Veldt to get stronger, yes? Gau learn from cave that people gather together to fight the dinosaur that drive them from their home. People won!"

"What?" Celes gasped. "Are you serious? The villagers killed the dinosaur?"

"Maybe you inspired them," Sabin winked, and Celes blushed.

"Oh no…I am hardly an inspiration to anything…But I am glad that they found the strength and courage to take their village back…it makes me feel better." Edgar sighed and tapped his fingers on the table.

"So…we got various swords and rings and dragons, but unfortunately we are no closer to figuring out anything Kefka might have in store for us…" Edgar sounded slightly sarcastic. "If we just invade his tower and attack…will that be a wise idea? Would that be an invitation for casualties?"

"I'm afraid we might not have any choice…" Sabin turned to his brother. "Like it has been said before…we don't even know if Kefka knows of our existence…it would be the surprise of his life if he was only just finding out before we stop him. But…still…to risk any of our lives…I don't want that." Edgar looked down, pensive. He clutched his hands into fists.

"Right, we don't seem to know much of anything…" Celes trailed off. "The last I heard from Kefka was when he attacked Tzen…things have been quiet since then." She sighed. "But…I am willing to sacrifice anything, including myself."

"Yes, me too," came a mumbled chorus from around the table. Being a Returner and bringing the world back to the way it was meant being willing to die. It was something they had all been willing to accept over the course of the past year, especially in the past few months together.

"Damn it!" Edgar cried, slamming down his fists on the table. Everyone stopped talking and looked up at him. His face was scrunched up and red, and he was shaking. "All we can say is "I don't know!" Kefka…that bastard! Somehow, I know he's just playing with us…just like he was before the world's downfall. We were nothing but pawns in his game, and so many lives were lost. There was nothing we could do to stop what happened one year ago…now the world is decaying underneath our feet. Still, after all our hard work and sacrifice, that clown manages to come up on top!!!"

There was dead silence. Edgar groaned and stood up, pushing his chair back so hard that it clattered on the floor. He stormed out of the room dining hall, slamming the double doors behind him, and there came a sniffle. Terra's head was down, and her eyes were tearing.

"Celes…" She whimpered. "None of us are going to die…I won't let it happen."

"Terra…" Celes bit down on her lip. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. But the thing is…I'm willing to look at the reality of the situation. The situation is grave. This is something none of us have ever encountered before…and we're diving into it blind."

"You're so cold!" Terra suddenly screamed, looking up, her eyes red. "Why do you have to be like that Celes? Why do you have to be so god damn stoic about everything?! You brought us together again, and now you're trying to say you think we may not make it? We WILL make it! Look at the terrible things you made Edgar say." Terra heaved and took in a deep breath. Her mind was jumbled with confusion and sadness. She couldn't even hear the words flying out of her mouth

"What…?" Celes shook her head, and stood up. "I don't make anyone say anything they don't WANT to say. In fact, I agree with him a little. I've tried being hopeful through all this, but it's very hard to continue harboring that hope after all of our hard work that leads to nothing. I've tried to be brave, too, but you act as if I am heartless. I am not that woman anymore, Terra. Even though my body lives, General Celes Chere still DIED the day I threw myself off the island cliff." With that, Celes spun on her heel and ran out of the dining hall, also slamming the doors. Terra clasped her hand over her mouth, eyes widened. Locke sunk in his chair, and the others began talking all at once.

"Celes tried to kill herself…?" Locke trailed off. He looked at Sabin, who looked very uncomfortable.

"She told me she tried to commit suicide when she woke up and Cid had died," Sabin replied quietly. "But she survived the fall and woke up. That's when she found your bandana and decided to make her way to the rest of us." Locke rested his hand on his forehead, feeling dizzy.

"Thank you…for saving me. You'll never know…you'll never know just what you did when…"

Locke turned back to Sabin. "What other secrets have you been keeping, eh?" Sabin turned red.

"I'm not keeping secrets!" He cried. "It's not like that, Locke." Locke, disturbed enough as it was, got up and made his exit as well, throwing up his arms and cursing. Sabin slid his fingers through his hair and let out a loud sigh.

"Oh my Gods…" Terra shook her head and moaned. "All of this building tension and pain…I've been trying to shake it for too long, and it has gotten the best of me. Look at what I've done."

"It's ok, it's no one's fault," Sabin offered, giving Terra a tight hug. "This is too stressful for all of us. It's frustrating, not knowing what to do next and how to go about doing it. We're going to fight this the best way we can, and the best way is without anyone having to die. We just have to figure it out."

Cyan sighed and pushed away his nearly-full plate of food. "I need to meditate on all of this. I need to go back to Doma and be with Elaine and Owain…"

"Hey…I'll come with you," Sabin replied. "If you would like the company." Locke will probably lynch me if I stay here tonight…

"I'll keep you company as well," Shadow replied a little gruffly. He had to admit he had a slight connection with the two idiots who had dragged him with them through the Phantom Train together. Plus, it would probably be hard for Cyan to go back there alone.

"Doma? I've never been there, kupo!" Mog exclaimed. "Mog will come too!"

"Thank you, my dear friends…" Cyan smiled. "What a lucky star I must have been born under to have you. I would like to only go for the evening. I feel that will be enough time."

"Well, if everyone is leaving, then I am going to bed early," Relm declared. "Ya'll should make up or whatever and stop being bitchy so we can hurry up and kill Kefka. I want to get back to my painting in Jidoor."

"Yes…bed sounds like a good idea," Terra mumbled, took a bite of food.

Everyone began to go their separate ways for the night. The boys who were planning to go to Doma went outside to warm up the airship. Terra began to just aimlessly wander the castle, hoping that she would not run into anyone. Relm ran up the stairs to her bedroom in the palace, anxious to get some drawing in before she went to sleep. When she got to her bedroom, she jumped onto her bed, reaching over and grabbing her sketchbook from the nightstand. She flipped past a few pages, took a pencil, and first began writing out a diary entry, which she tried to do everyday before she drew.

The dinner was more interesting than I thought tonight. Turns out, everyone was really pissed off about Kefka and let it all out right in the middle of the meal. Grandpa is kind of mad at me because he found out I snuck off to the Tower of Fanatics with Gau, Mog, and Setzer. Locke is mad too because I borrowed his Phoenix Magicite. But I'm sure they will both get over it.

Also, tonight Grandpa told everyone about what happened in Thamasa. It was boring to hear yet AGAIN, but I'm really happy that things worked out. Grandpa hasn't been the same since…he's been full of energy and actually cheerful. He felt so bad after we rescued him from the tower, and blamed himself every night for not being with me. I didn't want things to be like that though…I want Grandpa to know he is still the most important man in my life, and that he is my hero no matter what. Grandpa thinks that if I ever find my father, I'll abandon him. But I've told him over

and over so many times that it was he who raised me and taken care of me, not my father. In fact, I think if I ever do meet my father, I will give him a big punch in the face first instead of a kiss. I'm sure Mother wouldn't mind.

So, that's why I don't feel bad about what I did in Thamasa. I was surprised Gungho even agreed to do it…that man is more of a stubborn jackass than Grandpa. He was such a terrible actor though…I can't believe Grandpa really thought he was dying! Even I cringed at how bad it was, and I'm supposed to be the naïve one. At any rate, at least it got Grandpa's ass out the door and to Ebot's Rock. Hopefully, Gungho will take our little secret to his grave…or else I'll have to put him there early! Ha ha, I crack myself up-

There came a knock on Relm's door. Quickly slamming her book shut and jumping up from bed, she ran to answer it. She was surprised to see Sabin standing there, considering she and him did not share many words that often.

"Sabin! Aren't you leaving to go Doma soon?"

"Yeah…" Sabin nodded. "But there was actually something I wanted to ask you before I go. You're really the only person that can answer my question."

"Wow…that's the first time I've ever heard those words uttered," Relm laughed and got a hold of herself. "Anyway…what do you want to know?" Sabin paused for a moment and finally spoke.

"Well, if this gets too personal, please tell me to stop…but like I said, you are the only one I think could give me a truthful answer based on your life experience…What would you do if someone close to you might know who your father is, and you have never met the man yourself? Would you want them to tell you so you could try to figure things out, or would you rather not know?" Relm felt her face go pale. The question had totally come out of the blue for her. She wondered why Sabin wanted to know.

"I…" Relm trailed off, feeling her heart beat faster. "I…I don't know for sure…The truth is it's hard to answer because surely what I say may not be the same thing another says in the situation…" She sighed and looked away. "My father supposedly abandoned me and my dead mother for my protection. I don't know if he was lying or not…If I knew who he was…I might want to ask what the hell he was thinking, burdening my Grandpa with me and leaving me to wonder where the hell I came from. But…I think one should only reveal information like that if it is possible that the child's future will be better because of the outcome." She looked back up at Sabin. "I do not feel that my life would be better with my father. I love Grandpa and would never leave him, and…I'd rather think my father left me because of a noble cause and not because he was a sleaze. It helps me hate him less." Sabin looked a little surprised.

"Relm…you are definitely wiser than your years."

"Well, I've learned what I know from a great man," Relm stared up at him. "But I am curious to know why you care about all this." Sabin hesitated.

"Can I trust you with a secret?"

"Secrets got you in trouble tonight," Relm smirked, and Sabin blushed.

"I'm serious Relm…"

"Ok, ok." Relm smoothed down her clothes and gestured for Sabin to bend down to her height. "Tell me. I won't breathe it to a soul." Sabin sighed.

"Well, I did a little investigating for information on my own last week," he explained. "I found myself at a house that I had been at previously, and tried to talk to the man there. Granted, I didn't find out much, but I made some shocking connections in my head and realized…"

"…What…?" Relm asked softly.

"I think I might have found Gau's father."

Chapter Forty-Seven - Haunted…

Locke stared out the window at the darkening sky as The Falcon rose from the courtyard and started to fly away. How he wished he had wings of his own, or an airship at least, to fly himself away from the chaos churning within the group. He instantly regretted yelling at Sabin the moment he stood up and left the dining hall, but he couldn't take it back now. He had to hope that Sabin would come back ready and willing to hear him out.

Besides the wailing coming from Umaro's room (It was always a show watching Mog trying to get the 300 pound beast to go to bed), the palace was deadly silent. Everyone was in a hurry to abandon the dining hall after what had happened. Locke pulled off his stifling hot dinner jacket and undid a few buttons on his shirt, turning just in time to see Terra descending down a flight of stairs across the room. He knew the stairs led to the basement, but he also knew that the basement had been off limits for a long time now, especially since he heard that Figaro had supposedly been attacked underground a month or so ago. Never one to mind his own business, Locke abandoned his jacket and followed her.

Terra sighed. She had no where to really go, except her bedroom. But because it was next to Celes', she didn't want to take any chances. She let her feet carry her wherever, and she found herself at the basement stairs. Celes had told her the horror story of fighting the underground worms in Figaro's engine, but even that didn't keep Terra away this time. She spotted the engineer at the bottom of the stairs, fiddling with some switches.

"What are you doing?" Terra questioned, and the engineer nearly jumped a foot into the air. He turned around and gave Terra a look.

"It is orders that once a month we test the engines to make sure everything under here runs ok," The engineer replied, turning back to his work. "Ever since the accident we had before, we decided it was better to be safe than sorry."

"Oh…right," Terra said, feeling like a bother. She turned to go back up the stairs.

"Better stay here until the castle is done moving," The engineer barked. "Can't be getting sued if you trip and break all those pretty teeth."

Terra raised her eyebrows but promptly sat down on the bottom step. The engineer pulled the biggest switch, and Terra could hear the castle start to rumble and shift. She thought she heard a curse come from above the stairway, but didn't say anything and chalked it up to creaky gears.

Suddenly, there came a huge, echoing "thump", and the castle came to a violent halt. Terra gasped and the engineer started pressing buttons and pulling switches.

"What…what is this?!"

"AHHHH!"

Terra heard a scream and let out one herself as she felt something heavy hit her back and made her tumble to the floor. She moaned, opening her eyes and looking back to see Locke on top of her.

"Locke!" Terra turned red, and immediately shoved him off.

"Ow!" Locke cried, falling onto his backside and rubbing his back. "Sorry…"

"Me too…just a reflex from Edgar…" Terra stood up and reached out, grabbing Locke's hand and pulling him to his feet. "Where did you come from?"

"I was at the top of the stairs and I fell…" Locke sighed. "What's going on?"

"There's something odd about the stratum…" The engineer mused. "It's almost as if we've bumped into something…"

"But we can't leave the castle to find out!" Terra cried, a little panicked.

"There's one way you could go," The engineer offered. "In the jail area, thieves made a tunnel that goes underground. You might find what is causing the problem down there. As soon as we know, I can fix it and we can get out of here!"

"There's a secret tunnel here that even I did not know about?!" Locke laughed. "How ridiculous. Let's go see this phantom tunnel, Terra."

"Well, I think you should go," Terra replied. "I am going to hurry and try to find Edgar…I think he would know more about this than the lot of us…he is the machinery genius after all…"

"Good idea," Locke said, and took off towards the jail. Terra ran upstairs from the engine room and began calling Edgar's name so loud, the echoes bounced off the palace walls.

---

Celes did not dare to move until she was positive the castle had stopped moving. Curled up next to a now shattered pot in the castle jail, Celes thought she would find solitude, but ended up being very wrong, like always. It sounded as if something had crashed into the castle while it was moving, and a wave of freezing-cold, salty air had washed into the basement. When she stood up and brushed off the dusty pieces of broken pottery off her dress and cape she had retrieved earlier, she could see that

the darkened hole in the back of one of the jail cells now had some rubble and broken rock in front of it. Walking over to the hole, Celes peered in and gasped. Ahead of her was a long, dark, and spiraling path, surrounded by jagged stone walls and dripping ceilings. She shivered, patting her hands down at her sides. All she felt underneath her fingertips was silk and lace. Of course she didn't have any weapons on her.

Who needs weapons when you have magic? Celes smirked, and decided to go forward. It had been a while since she was in a nasty, dripping cave. Reaching along the sides of the cave to feel where she was going, Celes plunged inside and immediately became overwhelmed with the heavy scent of mixed humidity and mold. Her shoes were soaking in more moisture with every step she took, and soon her feet were clammy and cold. However, the narrow path just kept winding on, going deeper and deeper down. Finally, the area opened up a little more, where Celes was confronted with a bigger cavern that had more entrances etched out. As she headed towards the entrance in dead center, she heard a growl and glanced to her left just in time to see a winged, claw-bearing beast launch out at her from the shadows, red eyes glowing. Celes rolled out of the way, tearing her dress in various places in the process, but honestly not caring. As she pulled herself back to her feet and the beast stumbled and fell over, she shot her hands out in front of her and shouted:

"Thundaga!"

Huge, iridescent bolts of lightning shot out from the ceiling of the cave and struck the beast, sparks and smaller bolts flying out everywhere. But Celes' eyes widened in horror as the beast suddenly shone a bright blue, and the lightning dissipated. Another roar in the ceiling could be heard, and the spell struck again- this time at its caster. Celes screamed out, feeling as if her insides were frying and her blood was at boiling point, blinded by the white light sizzling around her. As she sank to her knees, the only thought she could fully put together ran through her mind over and over again.

A reflection spell…

She collapsed to the ground, knocked out before her head could even hit the rocks. The beast snarled with its dog-like snout and liked its fangs, beating its wings and making a howling noise to call its brethren.

---

What was that noise? Locke wondered, hearing a loud crash and then some sort of bizarre howling. As he pounded down the dark, dank pathway he had found in the jail, he reached in his belt and whipped out his favorite wing edge. As he burst into the open cavern, the first thing that registered on his radar was Celes' body on the ground. The second thing that registered was his target.

Taking a flying leap, Locke unleashed the wing edge and watched as it flew towards the monster and promptly sliced off its head, which thumped to the ground and rolled a little in a black, bloody mess before disappearing in a flash of purple light. The wing edge flew back to Locke, which he grasped in his fist just as he landed next to Celes. Reaching down, he felt that she still had a pulse.

Thank the Gods.

However, there were more where the first came from. A pack of the same beasts had slithered from the cave entrances ahead of them, and were now running towards Locke with open fangs and claws so sharp that chunks of rock flew out from underneath their feet as they ran. Aiming as carefully as two seconds would allow, Locke let the wing edge fly again and made three successive decapitations, only leaving the fourth, which took a flying leap towards the Returners. As Locke reached up with his left hand and caught the wing edge soaring past his ear, he unsheathed his knife with the other…

…plunging it right into the heart of the beast as it prepared to land on and maul them.

Black blood trickled out of the beast's heart as it trailed down Locke's knife, and the creature disappeared as its brothers did behind him. Locke sheathed the knife back into his belt and turned his attention to Celes. She was still out cold, her hair fried and stiff like hay. Right then, he heard pounding footsteps, and looked up to see Terra and Edgar flying towards them.

"What happened?!" Terra cried, and dove down to kneel beside Celes.

"I'm not sure, she was like this when I got here," Locke explained. I just fought off like five of these…things that wanted to have her for dinner.

"Give her some air," Terra instructed, and the others backed away as she closed her eyes and folded her hands together. "Life…!"

A golden glow surrounded Celes' body, and in moments her eyes were open, albeit glassy and confused. She lifted her head and looked around.

"What the…"

"I'm glad you're ok!" Terra cried, throwing her arms around Celes, but letting out a yelp as she jumped back.

"Celes, you shocked me!"

Celes shivered and pushed her nasty hair out of her eyes. "The monsters down here have protection Reflect spells…we can't use magic against them if we find anymore…I tried to use a Thundaga and got the wind blown out of me…"

"Mmm…so that was the static shock I felt…" Terra blinked. "Celes…to be able to survive a spell of that level…"

"I know, I know, I was lucky," Celes muttered. "If I had only had a weapon, I could have used my Runic powers and absorbed it completely…!"

"At least we're together now," Edgar said, and an uneasy silence filled between them as they all remembered there was a reason they weren't speaking before. Celes and Locke glanced at each other, and quickly and simultaneously looked away. Terra looked down.

"Let's just forget about what happened…" Edgar trailed off. "We have more pressing issues, obviously…and we aren't going to run back upstairs and drag the others into this danger just because we can't work together…" A longer silence followed, and at once, a chorus of voices rang out.

"I'm sorry…!"

Everyone looked at each other, and slowly frowns morphed into smiles.

"So…sorry that I had that little outburst before," Edgar said sheepishly. "I was just really freaked out."

"There is a reason why everything happens, I guess…" Terra trailed off, looking around their little battleground. "I no longer have doubt…that we are together by fate. Everything we do is apart of that fate…we do not know why…there may be no reasonable explanations…but the one thing we cannot let fate, or Kefka have…is our friendship. If the Returners fall from within, they will fall in battle."

"Well said, Terra…" Celes offered, and looked at Locke. "I'm sorry. But I was going to tell you the truth…in my own time."

"It's ok…" Locke smiled some. "We'll have plenty of time after Kefka…But I will need to still talk to Sabin after this, and make my apologies…"

"Sabin will understand," Edgar smiled. "I know he will. He is my blood, after all, and I would understand!"

"So…I am thinking that the next thing we should try to understand is what this place is and where it leads to," Terra said, gently bringing them back to their cold, damp reality. "Shall we continue?"

"Let's go," Celes ordered. "I feel the need for revenge."

Cautiously, the Returners explored each of the new entrances they had before them, but found that only one went on for a considerably longer time than the others, which led to dead ends after about ten minutes of walking each. The longer tunnel was on the right, and it was the way the Returners decided to take. As they stumbled down the narrow pathway in single-file, slipping became inevitable because of how sharp of a slope the path was leading into. After careful and deliberate

footing, the Returners finally reached the end of the path and crossed what looked like an ancient footbridge, completely made of stone that was crumbling in all sorts of areas but still holding strong. The river underneath was weak and the team could have easily just bothered getting their feet wet and walking across, but by that point all of them were shivering from the cold conditions and did not want to worsen their suffering.

"How can there be a river underground…?" Edgar trailed off.

The group crossed the rest of the way and exited through the widest opening they had found yet in the cave. And what was before them nearly took their breath away.

Patches of deep green grass grew between what looked like broken cobblestone pathways and piles of rubble scattered everywhere from something massive that had crumbled. Looking further ahead and around her, Terra could see that the rubble piles were actual remains of what had been tall towers…ahead of the Returners, stone steps led up to higher ground…where a castle half-collapsed in on itself rested. A very gentle lapping sound came from the outer boundaries of the rubble and grass…a shallow lake completely surrounded the castle and its land. The water could not have been more than a foot deep, but it was blue and pure, just like Terra remembered the ocean once was back before the world's undoing. Everything down here looked as if it had only been touched by hands of time, and not by the hands of destruction Kefka possessed.

Even with all of Kefka's power…he couldn't touch this place… Terra realized, feeling her heart beat faster. What is this? An illusion? She could hear the others murmuring behind her…and a soft voice suddenly whisper in her ear.

It is hardly an illusion…daughter of Maduin.

"What?" Terra gasped, clasping her hands over her ears. The others stopped and stared at her, but she couldn't open her mouth to explain. Something was slowly slipping over her, making her feel tired and heavy all over. Terra's lips pressed together on their own, and her eyes began to close.

What is happening to me!?

"TERRA!" Celes shrieked. Her voice sounded far away and mumbled, as if she had been speaking underwater. Terra felt as if she was struggling with her life to move, but nothing happened. Her world began to grow black, and she felt warmer and warmer, as if she were falling asleep in front of a blazing fire. Everything became silenced, and even though she was blind and numb, Terra knew the others were screaming for her and shaking her.

But I'm so tired…I don't have the energy to fight…

Do not fight, Terra. Just listen. Please, allow me to borrow your voice.

…What?

Suddenly, Terra's eyes snapped back open. Edgar let out a cry of surprise and let go of Terra's shoulders, which he had been shaking vigorously. Terra had a dead, lightless stare in her eyes. Her pupils had disappeared, and all you could see was shadowed emerald green. Without blinking once, she looked at the others and slowly flexed her fingers, spreading them and bringing them to a close in a small fist.

"Terra…" Locke whispered. "What's wrong…?" She didn't say anything. She looked up, seeing the faraway rocky dome above the ruins of the palace. She looked behind her. She turned, starting to walk up the steps, and the others, not knowing what else to do, followed her. Suddenly, Terra stopped, and began to speak. Although it was clearly her voice…there was something strange about it. Something…aged. Aged and deeply saddened.

"A thousand years in the past…a battle was waged here."

Terra spread her arms, and a blinding light suddenly washed in, causing all the Returners to cry out and close their eyes. However, when first Locke, then Edgar, and then Celes dared to open their gaze…they were met with a scenario unraveling before their very eyes, right below them….as if they were ghosts floating in mid-air. They were in the hall of a grand palace, with a rich, crimson carpet stretching up the center to two golden thrones. However, it was also overrun with armor-clad humans and Espers alike, and one of the human soldiers was trying to drag away a young woman from one of the thrones, with long, thick sapphire hair that reached past her waist and complimented her ivory and silver gown. He dragged her out, kicking and screaming, as another human soldier ran up to an officer.

"A city…ruined during the War of the Magi…"

"Sir! It's an Esper attack!"

"Fine," The captain replied, a mighty Esper with talons as long as any the Returners had ever seen. "Let's show them some of OUR Esper magic!"

At once, the throne room doors burst open and the room was stormed with so many Espers, they became blurs of each other within the flashing of magic spells and weapons. There were screams and shrieks of pain, and the scene faded away into white, becoming replaced with one that was familiar. Now the floors were littered with the dead and blood was everywhere. A few soldiers were kneeling, grasping wounds and trying to rouse far-gone friends. Only one soldier stood out, clad in shining silver armor with horns emerging from the helmet and wings spread from his back. He was towering in height and build, and could only be an Esper. He was grasping a glowing red lance that looked as if it were pulsating with power.

"Only Odin is here!" One of the soldiers cried, standing up shakily and glancing back at the standing Esper.

"Can we heal our wounds?" Another asked.

"We haven't any Espers who can cast the spells…!"

"Leave this battle in my hands!" The standing soldier named Odin cried, spinning his lance in his hands and slamming it so hard into the floor that the marble cracked beneath it. "We're out of options…you must run to safety and protect our Queen…"

As soon as the words left his mouth, streams of bright blue energy shot into the room and struck all the living soldiers at once, causing them to scream and surrender to death in unison. Odin gasped and charged forth, eliminating the enemies as they began to appear in wave after wave.

"Atom Edge!"

"Atom Edge!"

"Atom Edge!!!"

Soon, the enemy Espers had been dispatched, and Odin remained alone. As he turned to slip through a curtain in the back of the throne room, a voice cackled and Odin turned around. Standing in the middle of the room was a tall, aging sorcerer. He had on ragged navy robes and a gnarled hand clutched at what looked like a plain wooden staff.

"Atom Edge!" Odin took one hard charge at the sorcerer and sliced his lance right through his abdomen. However, the sorcerer merely began to cackle and laugh, reaching for the lance and giving a hard tug, pulling it out from inside of him and sending Odin reeling backwards. He crashed into the thrones, and the sorcerer stepped closer.

"Do not think you can stop me…foolish Esper…" He raised his staff, the room starting to glow glittering colors as the dead Esper soldiers in the room began to float and transform into glittering shards of Magicite. Odin cried out, dropping his lance and collapsing to his knees, clutching himself.

"No…Don't…You cannot…turn me into…Magicite…" The sorcerer merely laughed, swinging his staff and causing all the Magicite to fly into his arms. Odin struggled and stood again, about to step forward but stopping. He cried out as his feet became stuck to the floor, and a cold paralysis began to shoot up through his nerves.

He had turned to stone.

"ODIN!!!" A voice suddenly screamed, and the young woman from before dashed out, clutching the stone body and sobbing loudly. The scene faded again, and Terra dropped her arms. The Returners found themselves in front of the crumbled palace once more, confused and saddened by

what had been displayed. Terra turned to the group, her eyes still dead and empty as she spoke in a grave tone.

"There's an ancient legend…It tells of a battle between Odin and a powerful sorcerer that took place in the great hall of this palace…" For the first time, Terra blinked, and her eyes were back to normal. She gasped, reaching up and touching her face as she looked at the others.

"You guys…!" She cried.

"Terra…" Edgar gasped. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine…" Terra rubbed her head. "I couldn't see anything though…and I couldn't speak…I could only hear…the voice booming inside of me…"

"I…I think something possessed you…" Celes bit down on her lip. "There is no other reasonable explanation for what just happened…"

"I think I was also possessed…" Terra trailed off. "She wanted to tell us this story…I wonder why…"

"Who is "she"?" Locke asked.

"I…I'm not sure…" Terra blinked. "Although I think I have an idea…" She turned and started to go up the rest of the steps. "Follow me…" Reluctantly, the rest of the Returners followed her and they entered the palace through its destroyed doors. Everywhere they looked, there were holes, crumbling rock, and even some skeletons. Many of the doors that the group tried were stuck shut or blocked by rubble. Most of the stairways leading up and down had collapsed and led to dead ends. However, faded red carpet could still be seen underneath the dust and rock…and when Locke and Edgar pulled apart the rusty grand doors…they found themselves in the throne room.

"Everything looks so faded…" Celes trailed off, being careful not to cut herself on shattered crystal and glass from the chandeliers that had once hung from the ceiling that had crashed to the floor. Human skulls and bones dusted the carpet, blood still stained some of the stone floor. However, standing on the steps ahead of the abandoned, cobweb-threaded thrones was the stone statue of Odin. He was paused in the same exact position that the Returners had last seen him in, but his lance that had fallen beside him was long gone. Terra blinked and stepped up to the statue, staring up at it and reaching up to gently trail her finger down an armored shoulder.

Odin…you were a pure Esper, while I am half…but…you had to fight and slaughter your own kind in a "righteous" fight…while I slaughtered countless humans in my own battles…my mother's humanity flowing through my veins…Perhaps we are not so different at all… Terra sighed and put both her tiny hands on his breastplate. The traitorous blood on our hands…it makes me wonder…if Espers are truly permitted to love and be loved…am I telling myself a blinding lie by believing I have a place in this world, a place in others' hearts?

Suddenly, the statue gave a shudder, and burst into glittering light and dust. As Terra coughed and tried to wave away, the others ran up to her and promptly pulled her backwards. When the chaos settled, all that was left in Odin's place was a shard of dull Magicite. Terra found her eyes watering as she picked it up, but didn't say anything. If Odin's answer to her question was death, she wasn't sure what to think.

"Look…" Locke pointed to their right, where a doorway was only semi-hidden due to rubble and stone. Terra clutched the Magicite as they walked over and all began digging at and pulling away the debris so that the door could be opened. Finally, Edgar found a door handle, and pushed the door open.

Inside was a destroyed bedroom. A once beautiful white canopy bed was stained with age, water, and god knew what else, with the rods holding up the canopy partially collapsed. The ceiling for the bedroom was non-existent, and the Returners could see the outside "world". Puddles of water were everywhere, a bureau of rotting wood was collapsed in one corner, and books and clothes were soaked and dirtied all over the floor. The one thing that stood out in the entire room was a little bit of glittering light coming from one pile of books. Walking over and picking it up, Terra realized it was a jewel-encrusted diary. The lock snapped off as soon as she made the tiniest attempt to pick it, but most of the pages were blurred and destroyed by water and time.

"Anything good?" Celes asked, and Terra shook her head.

"No…" She sighed. "Not a th-" She suddenly stopped and flipped back a few pages, where the ink was still clear and only parts of the paper had been damaged, and read aloud:

I realize now, that I am in love with Odin…This…breaks every rule of our society. But my heart longs for this noble, elegant man…How could anyone blame me? After the fighting is over, I'm going to bare my soul to him…even if it means giving up my right to the throne…

The rest of the entry was blurry and a chunk was torn off. Terra paused, staring at the diary entry, mouthing her thoughts.

"Love between a human and an Esper…"

"This must have been the Queen's room…" Locke trailed off. "And that must be her diary."

"How sad…" Celes shook her head. "I bet she never got to tell him how she felt…" Terra turned to look at her.

"You're probably right…she watched him die…there was nothing she could do." Terra suddenly felt tremendously depressed, closing her eyes and slamming the diary shut. Pages and dust gently fluttered to her feet. Her heart was aching so badly, although she didn't know if it was her doing or

the loveless Queen's. Suddenly, the voice from before whispered in her ear again, blocking out any other sounds in the room.

"Where the Queen stands…take five steps."

"Terra!" Celes barked, snapping her fingers in front of Terra's face. Terra blinked and looked at the others.

"I heard it again…the voice…"

"What happened?!" Edgar and Locke demanded in unison.

"Where the Queen stands…take five steps…" Terra paused. "I have no idea what that means." Locke looked down for a moment, scratching his chin and then grinning.

"Oh…I think I got it! No puzzle is too tricky for me."

"I knew we brought you along for a good reason!" Edgar exclaimed, and Locke glared at him.

"Hey man, I brought myself."

Locke led the group out of the bedroom and back to the throne room. Thinking back to their little ghost show, Locke walked to the throne where the Queen had been dragged out by a guard, and took one, two, three, four, five paces forward. As soon as his second foot dropped on the fifth step, a loud, hallow sound could be heard from beneath them. The Returners looked at each other, and Locke grinned.

"So…am I good, or what?"

"Don't get cocky now," Celes warned. "Because if you've unhinged a trap for us, you're dead."

"Way to give a blow to the ego…" Locke pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. For some reason, Terra could feel her heartbeat increasing faster and faster with each passing minute. She was sure this wasn't her doing…whatever had been inside of her had not left yet…and it was anxious to get to their next destination.

"T…This way…" Terra said shakily, and ran back into the Queen's bedroom. Sure enough, on the other side of the bed, a stairway had been revealed. She clamored down the stairs, quite clumsily, nearly tripping one or two times. At the end of the stairs, the Returners faced a long hallway…and at the end of it…another statue.

Terra and the others slowly proceeded down the hallway, keeping an eye out for any traps. However, everything went smoothly, until when the group actually reached the statue in question.

Terra felt the color drain from her face. She could tell by the gasps of her comrades behind her that her involuntary action was justified.

The statue was of a lovely, tall young woman. Because of her long, abundant hair and her tiara and elegant gown, Terra could immediately see that it was the Queen from their history lesson. However, what everyone had failed to see that time around was the Queen's actual face and posture.

She looked identical to Terra. And not only that…they had the same ruby pendant, too. It was like staring in a mirror.

"Oh my Gods…" Celes trailed off. "They look exactly alike…"

"Whoa…" Edgar blinked, for once not having a perverted comment to make.

"How can this be…?" Locke bit down on his lip. "Even the Queen was turned to stone…and she just so happens to look just like Terra…"

"Her pendant…" Terra reached out and touched it. "It's just like mine…just like my father gave my mother…" She pulled her hand back, which was still clutching Odin. All of a sudden, she was crying, heaving with sobs that were out of her control and that she didn't understand. "How can this be…?" Suddenly, Odin began to glow in Terra's hand…as did the pendant on the Queen's statue. When Terra looked up, she could see…

…a tear coming from the Queen's eye…

The tear splashed onto the Magicite, which caused it to glow brighter and brighter, and suddenly fade back to normal. However, it was now glimmering and looked shining and new, and even a little bigger than before. Terra could instantly feel that this Magicite had gained tremendous power and strength…but from what? She closed her eyes, and could feel the warm numbness washing over her body again. She felt her inside self curling into a warm, comfy ball, as if to go to sleep. The Returners watched in shock as Terra got possessed again, opening her eyes with the same lifeless light as before. She turned to the statue of the Queen, reaching up and touching the dull tiara and once again-dull pendant.

"Thank you…thank you for coming here," the sad voice came again. "It was because of you and your special friend Terra that I was able…to finally be with the one that I love."

"I…I don't quite get it," Edgar said point-blankly, and possessed-Terra cracked a small smile.

"You allowed poor Odin to finally go in peace…as you know, an Esper is only truly dead when he or she has become Magicite. For the longest time, Odin was holding on…he did not know what had become of me…and most certainly did not want his power to fall into the wrong hands…"

"Do you mean…" Celes blinked. "You got to tell him how you felt?"

"I did…" Terra trailed off. "I realize you read my diary and may have thought otherwise. But I did not listen to the logic I had worked out on paper…as soon as I wrote that, I ran to him and confessed my true feelings. I was thrilled to learn that he loved me too…he gave me this as a sign of his affection…" She pointed to the pendant on the Queen's neck. "This is a powerful relic among Espers…but it is a symbol of love if you should give it to the one to whom you are devoted…" She slowly circled around the Queen's body, letting out a small sigh.

"Terra is protected by a divine and unconditional love…the love of her parents symbolized in her pendant…" This time Terra touched her own chest, "As well as the love of you, her friends…However, a small part of Terra still believes that as an Esper, she does not have the ability to love or be loved. She thinks she has created an illusion for herself…that love between an Esper and a human is doomed, no matter what…but now I can show her that it is not. Odin waited for me all these years…and now…we can finally be together…it is true both in reality and the ethereal…" Terra took a step back, leaning against the statue.

"As a thank you…Odin has granted you his greatest powers…and transformed his Magicite into that of the phantom warrior Raiden…please use it in your quest to bring right to the world above…and please…above all else…love and protect each other…it is the key to eternal happiness…and life…" Terra shivered and suddenly a bright white light emerged from her body, leaping from her head and flying backwards into the stone statue of the Queen. Terra's body slumped down as the statue burst into shining ruby light, and disappeared into thin air. Terra coughed and pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes and brushing away the ruby dust that had fluttered onto her body. When she opened her eyes, they were bright and normal again, although…

"Terra, why are you crying?" Celes asked gently, giving Terra a hug. Locke and Edgar stepped in closer, both touching her shoulders tenderly.

"Because…I heard everything…" Terra sniffled softly. "And I realized it was all true…we all can love and be loved…even if we are an Esper…or a spirit…The spirit that possessed me…the Queen…she was so happy…I could feel it. She was so happy because she could finally be with her love…and I realized that I feel that happiness whenever I am with you guys…and the children from Mobliz…and now…I know absolutely for sure…that feeling is truly love!"

"Terra…" Celes trailed off, hugging her tighter. "I'm glad you're ok. And I'm glad for the Queen and Odin as well…they are going to be very happy now because of you." Terra sniffled happily and nodded, opening her arms.

"Come here…Locke…Edgar…!"

"Oh Gods, I never thought she would ask for this!" Edgar squealed, giving Terra a tight, rib-crushing hug. Terra had to laugh at Edgar's perverted stupidity, and Locke gave both Terra and Celes an arm around the shoulder.

"Let's get back up to the real world, huh?" He smiled and gave a trademark Locke wink. "I have a feeling now that the Queen is happy, we should be able to mosey on along in the castle…"

"I never thought about it like that…I bet she did stop us…" Celes narrowed her eyes. "Because she specifically wanted to talk to Terra…Which means I was fried nearly to death earlier just for a love story?!"

"I told you…everything happens for a reason!" Terra smiled happily, but Celes' face suddenly turned into an even deeper scowl. Terra blinked. "Uhh…Celes…?" Celes pointed behind Terra, Locke, and Edgar, with a shaky finger.

"What is the reasoning behind that?"

The group turned, only to come face-to-face with an enormous, blue, perspiring dragon. As if to reply, it opened its long snout, glistening full of pearly white teeth, and gave out a tremendous roar.

---

Meanwhile…

"Doma is really creepy…kupo…" Mog moaned. He, Sabin, Shadow, and Cyan had been wandering around the damaged castle for nearly two hours now. Upon arriving, Cyan had become deeply depressed and felt the need to survey all the damage done to his beloved home. Doma had become a sort of party headquarters for the Empire after they took it over, and they trashed it well. While most of the furnishings had been burned or damaged or destroyed, it was the memories that brought Cyan the most devastation. He didn't imagine that returning nearly a year after his wife and son's death would be so difficult…everywhere he went, he felt as if they were still there, watching him from the shadows…wondering why he didn't come back sooner…

…Wondering why he let them die…

Cyan had broken away from the group early to be by himself, so Sabin, Shadow, and Mog had stuck together for the majority of the trip. However, a considerable amount of time had passed by now, and Doma wasn't exactly a huge palace. They all found it a little curious that they had not run into Cyan again.

"He's probably meditating now," Shadow grunted. "In which if that is the case, we need to leave him alone."

"But still, we should at least see where he is so we can make sure he's safe." Sabin offered. "Let's go around and check some of the bedrooms inside."

With that said, the group decided to return inside to the main hall of the castle, where most of the bedrooms were. Sabin tried a few doors, bur realized they were locked. He thought that was a little

strange, since he surely believed they hadn't been locked before…but then again, he wasn't paying a lot of attention, either. He sighed, not paying attention right then and nearly stepping on Mog.

"Hey!" Mog screeched.

"Sorry!!!" Sabin cried. "I was just a little perplexed."

"Why…because the doors are all locked, kupo?" Mog said, and Sabin widened his eyes.

"All the doors you tried were locked too…?"

"As were mine…" Shadow hissed, slipping in out of nowhere, which was something he was very good at. "I find it suspicious…"

"Oh dear…" Sabin sighed, scratching his head. "Locking doors is not a meditation practice I am familiar with."

"Well, you didn't try this one yet…" Mog offered, jumping up and barely being able to reach the knob of a door across from Sabin. Surprisingly, the door swung open, although the room was completely dark inside. Sabin peered in, biting down on his lip and whispering.

"Cyan…? Uh…sorry to bother you if you're in here, but…there's a problem…"

It took a few moments for Sabin's eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when he did, all he could make out were a few beds and some nightstands. A standard soldier's quarters, but…something was definitely wrong…

Suddenly, there was the sound of matches striking, and three little balls of light appeared, and they were approaching one of the beds. Sabin gestured for the others to come in, which they did, quietly. As they approached the bed themselves, Sabin saw the outline of what was definitely Cyan's form lying down.

Oh…I guess he just fell asleep…

But that still didn't explain the three balls of light, which had now jumped to the head of the bed and had revealed themselves to be three extremely tiny, ugly, nappy-haired little boys with different colored overalls for clothing. They were so small, they were each barely two feet tall. They grinned at Sabin and the others, giving little identical waves with burning matches in their other hands.

"I'm Curley!

"I'm Larry!"

"I'm Moe!"

"What?!" Sabin cried, and Shadow and Mog gave each other a peculiar look. Was this some sort of a sick joke?

"We're the three Dream Stooges!" The boys cried in unison, and Sabin opened his mouth to say something, but got interrupted.

"This man's soul is ours!" Curley exclaimed.

"This man's soul is ours!" Followed Larry.

"This man's soul is ours!" Moe grinned.

"Hey…" Sabin trailed off.

"Today we dine well!!!" Curley squealed, and suddenly rolled up into a ball, leaping into the air and getting smaller and smaller…until he disappeared inside Cyan's head. Sabin could not believe what he was seeing.

"Today we dine well!!!" Larry giggled, following suit. And of course…

"Today we dine well!!!" Moe followed with a flourish, blowing out his match and taking the same leap as his brothers. Throughout the entire ordeal, Cyan did not move an inch, although he was still breathing…

"Is this…like some sort of weird dream?" Mog demanded.

"I would never dream about any one of you," Shadow replied. "Please remember that."

"They must be demons of some sort…" Sabin muttered. "Demons that must be exorcised properly…or else…"

"They said they were going to take his soul!" Mog cried.

"Well, none of us can exorcise, now can we?" Shadow smirked.

"Well, no…" Sabin trailed off. "But Mog…you're a magical creature…what can you tell us about these "Dream Stooges?"

"Not much…" Mog sighed. "Although they did use magic to enter Cyan's soul…I can see the remnants of it floating around him…" Sabin and Shadow looked, but they could not see what Mog was talking about. It was an extra sensatory ability that anything remotely human did not have.

"Do you think we could borrow their magic…?" Sabin continued, and Shadow stared at him

"No way am I even going to attempt what you are thinking."

"Let's just try it…" Sabin shook his head. "It's not like I know how to deal with situations like this…it's not like I could even think up a situation like this loaded on ale and loco weed!!!" At this point, Mog had jumped onto bed, and was waving his pom-pom around in the air as he did a Moogle dance. Ever so slowly, the pom-pom was beginning to sparkle with the magic Mog was stealing from the air. However, he was beginning to panic…and Mog had good reason, because he was starting to shrink!

"Hurry!" Mog cried. "Touch my pom-pom!" Sabin and Shadow both kind of just stared at him, and he began to sweat and dance around on Cyan's body faster. "I don't care how ludicrous it sounds! Just hurry up and TOUCH IT!" As Mog began to get smaller and smaller, Sabin and Shadow realized they had no choice. Quickly reaching out and grabbing the pom-pom just in time, Sabin and Shadow became affected by the magic just as Mog had disappeared into thin air. As they felt themselves shrinking, Shadow let out a string of curses. Sabin merely just closed his eyes, and prayed that they would be somewhere resembling reality, all together, once he opened them again.

Oh Sabin. One can dream, can't they?

Chapter Forty-Eight - To be a Knight

"Uhh…where are we?" Sabin opened his eyes, slowly sitting up some and looking around. His backside was cold, and he realized he was sitting on cold, light blue marble. At first, he felt as if his head were spinning round and round. Everything around him was swirling and spinning and melting together in a bright array of colors. Sabin moaned, closing his eyes and rubbing them before opening them again slowly. Everything was still spinning. Glancing down, he let out a squeal. He was at the edge of a platform of marble…and far below him was nothingness as far as the eye could see. Nothingness that solely contained twisted and melting rainbow colors…

Everything was silent. There was no wind, no other voices…no echoes. As Sabin stood up, his boots on the floor didn't even make a sound. Ahead of him was a path of marble that led to a short flight of stairs and another path, elevated above him. Looking behind him, Sabin saw more of the twisted rainbow abyss and realized that he was truly alone. He didn't really have much of a choice but to move forward, even though he was terribly confused. The last thing he could remember was going under Mog's spell. The only problem was, he wasn't sure if this was what was supposed to happen. And he definitely wasn't supposed to be alone.

Climbing the stairs, Sabin was careful not to trip and fall over the edge. When he got to his new path, he continued to follow it until he reached a platform with three metal barred doorways. It appeared as if there was nothing behind them, and that the doorways were just standing up on their own. Shrugging, Sabin reached over and opened the door furthest to the left. He gasped out as a blinding light shot forward and enveloped him, forcing him to close his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, he found himself on yet another platform. As he looked around, he could see that he was fairly high in the air. He could see some of the other platforms below him, including the one he had woken up on.

"This is…too weird…" Sabin trailed off as he turned a corner. He heard sniggering, and looked ahead only to see one of the Dream Stooges tittering around Shadow's body. Sabin gasped out, clenching his fingers together and activating the claws on his metal knuckle, which shot out and glistened. The Dream Stooge cried out and dove out of the way just as Sabin charged and took a wild swing.

"Back off!" The Stooge shouted. "I'm not gonna mess with ya unless my brothers are here! See ya!" In a small cloud of smoke, the Stooge disappeared, and Sabin let out a frustrated growl. Retracting his claw, he kneeled beside Shadow and gently shook him.

"Hey…Shadow…"

Shadow moaned, slowly opening his eyes and pushing himself up as he shook his head. He took one long look at their surroundings and turned to Sabin. If Sabin could see under Shadow's mask, he would bet there was surely a perplexed look on his face.

"…What the…?"

"It's like…some sort of catacomb of pathways and doors…" Sabin struggled to explain. "I'm not sure what happened…what if we accidentally got banished to some bizarre realm?"

"No…" Shadow shook his head. "I thought I heard one of those damn stooges…"

"You did…" Sabin trailed off.

"Well…then isn't it obvious?" Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow. "We must be in Cyan's soul…" Sabin gasped.

"We really did it? Wow…so this is what a soul looks like…" Sabin scratched his head. "Very…um….vibrant."

"Never mind that," Shadow grunted. "We have to find Mog…and then we have to kill those little wenches and get the hell out of here…before they do any damage to Cyan…"

"Right, of course," Sabin replied. "Just be on your guard. They could attack us any minute…"

The two Returners circled around the entire platform and could only find a door. Sabin wearily pulled it open, and the two found themselves instantly materialized onto a new platform. Near them was a doorway, and to their left was a tall flight of stairs.

"Let's go through here," Shadow said, yanking open the door. In a flash, they appeared on a platform with a single flight of stairs that led to yet another door. Running up the stairs, Sabin called out Mog's name, but there was no reply. His voice didn't even make an echo. Throwing open the door, Sabin and Shadow found themselves right back where they started, between the tall flight of stairs and the door.

"Damn!" Shadow groaned. "We went in a full circle."

"To the stairs, then!" Sabin sighed, and they made the long and exhausting climb. When they reached the top, all they could see was another door, so Shadow pulled it open, and they appeared somewhere new. Before them was another pair of doors on an otherwise small and unoccupied platform. Sabin and Shadow looked at each other.

"Well, I picked wrong last time…" Shadow said, and Sabin cringed.

"Let's go with…the right." The boys closed their eyes as Sabin nervously pulled the door open. They were greeted with a loud shriek, and Sabin opened his eyes just in time to see another stooge disappear into thin air. He was also relieved to see Mog on the floor, shivering and crying on his back.

"Mog!" Sabin exclaimed, and Mog looked up, whimpering.

"Is that you guys? I was so scaaaared!" He sniffled as Shadow walked over, grabbed him by scruff, and promptly hoisted him to his feet. Mog fluttered his wings some and looked around. "Isn't this place insane? I've never been in a soul before!"

"It's going to get worse if we don't hurry and find all those Dream Brats!" Sabin cried. "We're going to have to keep going until we find them…"

There was a door at the top of the platform, so the three reunited Returners entered through and warped to a large, stretched out platform with a door on the far right and a door on the very far left, which could barely be seen since it was lifted so high in the air an obstructed by more tall stairs. Deciding that the lesson learned from Cyan's soul was that the harder trip meant the correct door, the team decided to climb the stairs and take the door to the left. Stepping through, they found themselves at the top of another flight of stairs, and climbed to the bottom until they reached a sole doorway…and three noisy little boys.

"Gah!" A stooge cried as Sabin released his claws and Shadow withdrew his dagger. Mog gave the most evil face a Moogle could possibly give and put his hands on his hips. The three stooges looked at each other with worried expressions, until the center one suddenly realized they were hardly coming off as intimidating, and smacked the other two in the head.

"Yo!" The center one cried. His hair was the worst and knottiest of them all, so he had to be Curley. "You don't be messin' with us! We're The Three Dream Stooges, and now that everyone is here…we're gonna rumble!"

"Oh please," Shadow said dryly.

"Take this!" Mog cried, doing a magical dance sequence and finishing off with a back flip. "Elf Fire!" The three boys screamed as little fireballs suddenly appeared underneath their feet and around their heads, dancing about in the air and lighting Larry's pants on fire.

"AHHH!" Larry screamed, running around like an idiot on the platform. "Help me ya'll!"

"Sure…" Shadow grunted, withdrawing a magic scroll from his belt and chanting a few words before launching it at the flaming stooge. The scroll burst into flying scythes of water, which ripped through Larry's helpless body in seconds, causing the demon to shiver and scream before bursting into a billowing cloud of dust.

"Brother!" Moe cried, thrusting his hands in front of him and summoning a lightning attack. "Take this, you bastards!"

"Aura Bolt!" Sabin countered, the blinding white flash of light shooting through his hands and streaming right through Moe's weak lightning bolt before it could even reach the party. The lightning attack faded with some crackling and sparks, while the aura bolt continued to surge on and struck Moe dead-on. Moe squealed and burst into dust as well, following the same fate as his brother. Curley looked frightened now, backing up against the door and reaching up to pull it open…

"Don't let him escape!" Sabin cried, charging after him. Curley merely laughed, and shook his head.

"It's too late…we've already released Wrexsoul…" He continued to laugh, even as Sabin spliced him right through the stomach and pulled back, panting out and letting the demon hit the floor before bursting into dust. He retracted his claws, and Mog and Shadow ran over to him.

"Wrexsoul…what is that…?" Mog asked.

"It must be the demon that will actually eat the soul…" Shadow sighed. "So we were too late…"

"We are not too late!" Sabin cried. "We'll keep going until we find the demon and destroy it! If we don't…we will probably perish along with Cyan…"

"Perhaps Wrexsoul has not gotten far!" Mog tried hopefully. "Maybe these guys were guarding the door to give him some sort of head start…"

"I'm not going to wait around and think it out!" Sabin cried. "Our friend needs us!" Before anyone could possibly stop him, Sabin pulled open the door, and the group was surrounded by a pale yellow light. The melting background and doorways and marble paths faded away…and Sabin suddenly felt as if the ground beneath his feet was shaking and moving.

In a flash, the light had disappeared, and Sabin and the others found themselves in the car of a moving train. However, the colors in this area were also off quite a bit- they were all pale browns and yellows, as if they were trapped in an ancient photograph. Looking around, Sabin could see that any chance they might have had of navigating the train was obstructed by the obnoxiously long and tall seats blocking the center of the car, as well as many crates. He also noticed there was no door behind them to let them out.

"This reminds me of the Phantom Train…" Shadow mused, and Sabin leaned back against a wall, nodding.

"Yeah…only somehow I remember getting around that train to be much easier…"

"It has to be a puzzle, kupo," Mog said, looking around and touching anything and everything. "The labyrinth before was one too…the soul is a complicated thing! It cannot be easily navigated, even by the one who owns it."

"But why a train!?" Sabin sighed. "Cyan hates machines…"

"Perhaps this is a means of torturing himself…" Shadow trailed off, no one really hearing his mumbles. He then cleared his throat and spoke up. "At any rate…I have a sneaking suspicion that we do not want to stick around for this whole train ride…so let's hurry up, get through it, and shut it off…"

"A switch!" Mog interrupted, and jumped up, giving it a smack. There was a loud "boom!", and a chunk of the obstructing seat fell away, revealing a pathway. Mog gestured for the others to follow him, and he became the unofficial leader of the Train Ride from Hell. Since Mog seemed to absolutely adore puzzles and riddles, Sabin and Shadow let him have a go at activating the switches they found so that they could continue on in the train.

As they stepped out of the first car, a blurry figure leaped over them onto the roof of the next car. Everyone looked up and gasped: It was a ghostly yellow Cyan, looking as if he were running for his life. His boots made tapping noises against the tin roof off the cars as she sprinted down the next car.

"CYAN!" Sabin cried. "WAIT!"

Suddenly, there came a crash a little ways ahead of them…and the metal footsteps ceased. Sabin, Shadow, and Mog all turned to each other.

"Was it really Cyan, or a ghost?" Mog questioned.

"Only one way to find out, I guess…" Shadow sighed. "We continue."

In the next car, the group discovered an enchanted chest that would hop from spot to spot, "conveniently" blocking the pathway of the Returners whenever they stepped in the direction they wanted to go. The problem with this was that the car was already loaded down with more of the seats and crates, and the chest would block the only path open. After numerous failed "Stop" and "Slow" spells, Mog ordered for them to find something heavy. Shadow cracked open one crate and shuffled through it, coming up with a lump of worthless, melted and fused back together metal. Mog took it, and fluttering over the top, dropped the metal into the box when it did its usual teasing hop into an area that did not block them. The metal crashed down, and suddenly, the chest stopped moving.

The rest of the train contained even more switch and chest tricks, and despite looking everywhere, the Returners could not find Cyan again. Mog easily calculated each measure to get past the traps however, which sort of surprised Sabin and Shadow. Every member of the Returners was a valuable

one, but Mog was truly revealing a side of himself no one thought he ever had: the cunning and brilliant side as opposed to the cute, deadly-dancing side. While Mog would go ahead of Sabin and Shadow to do the puzzles, the two men fell into an uncomfortable silence. Any second, there was potential that Wrexsoul would consume Cyan's soul, and the little dream world they were in would collapse in on itself and destroy them. It was the equivalent of holding a ticking time bomb with no countdown display…and it was frightening.

You have to fight, Cyan… Sabin prayed. You have to fight…I don't know why this had to happen to you…but I swear we'll save you! Don't keep running away!

For a man's soul to be in jeopardy…Cyan must have some dark thoughts… Shadow thought to himself. But Cyan is a righteous knight…and can't have a single stain of evil on his hands…so why is he vulnerable? Surely a demon would want to feed on a dirtied soul…one tainted and maimed…like mine.

"Look!" Mog exclaimed, swinging open a door. "We've made it to the engine!"

Sure enough, outside the door was the engine car and the smoke stack…which strangely wasn't emitting any smoke. The world outside was pitch black…all Sabin, Shadow, and Mog could see was the paleness of the train beneath their feet and small part of it that remained ahead of them. Entering the engine room, Sabin remembered how to shut off the engine from the Phantom Train, and flipped all the switches accordingly. Shadow approved the sequence, remembering also, and they stepped outside the engine to flip the switch on the smokestack. However, when Sabin stepped outside, he realized…

…There was nothing beneath his feet.

---

"Ahhh!"

Celes screamed out as she was smashed back against a palace wall, soaking wet with water from the hydro blast the dragon had generously decided to give her. She sputtered and gasped as she spit and coughed water up, and Terra ran to her side.

"Celes, are you ok?"

"I'm…fine…!" Celes spat water again. "But I thought dragons were supposed to breathe fire?"

"Apparently, we have made an acquaintance with the Water Dragon!" Terra protested. "And he doesn't even give us a second to cast spells…"

"HA!" Edgar cried, swinging his heavy lance and thrusting it with all his strength towards the dragon's side. However, with a "clang!", the tip of the lance smashed in against the dragon's rock-

hard scales, and Edgar jumped back with a scream of pain, clutching his arm. "He's invulnerable to weapons!"

"Look out!" Locke cried, but it was too late. Another heavy shot of water sprayed directly into Terra and Celes' faces, causing them to sputter and choke. The hall they were in was rapidly beginning to fill with water, and in just five minutes of battle, it was already past their ankles. The dragon swung its tail like a mace and struck Edgar and Locke down into the water, roaring angrily.

"I…I can barely move..!" Celes cried, struggling to get up with her wet dress clinging tightly to her legs. "WHOA!" She screamed as she slipped backwards, as moving too fast on a slick surface with fancy shoes will do to you. Terra managed to pull herself up only after abandoning her shoes, clutching the Raiden Magicite and managing to summon the Esper before the dragon did a turnabout and smashed her and Celes with its tail, now giving Locke and Edgar a blast of water. The room faded into a white light as Raiden rode in on a six-legged horse from down the end of the hall, hoisting his glowing ruby lance and pointing it right at the dragon's heart. As the lance connected with the dragon, Raiden and his horse rode through it and faded away…but the lance suddenly burst into bright ruby sparkles and disappeared. Everyone gasped out, and Terra clutched the Magicite harder. The dragon let out a mighty roar and pushed itself up onto its hind legs…

"What?!" Terra cried. "It didn't work…?!"

"Oh Gods, this is it…" Celes cringed, closing her eyes.

Terra!

Terra blinked, staring at the Magicite which was glowing gently.

Terra…an Esper's weapon can no better penetrate than a human's…it is a lesson Odin learned when fighting the sorcerer…but an Esper's magic is unmatched…

"Esper magic…" Terra closed her eyes, feeling the warm glow of the Magicite beneath her fingertips. Every shard of Magicite had a shred of the original Esper's powers…and now Terra needed that power desperately.

And so easily, it came to her. A special spell that only Raiden could use…the power he had locked in his Magicite when he passed away.

"Quick," Terra whispered.

It happened suddenly: Ribbons of red light wove up and around Terra's arms, diving into her chest and causing her hair to fly back and her eyes to glow a sinister red, much like her eyes as an Esper. Putting her hands out, Terra barely uttered a syllable before a Flare spell erupted and struck the standing dragon, knocking it down in the deafening hiss of the steam bursting from its body. Terra pointed her finger, again barely finishing the spell before another explosion erupted and easily

finished off the Water Dragon. As it faded away in a mix of steam and light, the waters flooding the hall faded away as well- even the drenched Returners were dry again.

"Whoa, you must have did all that in what…5 seconds?!" Edgar gasped, still on his behind and a little stunned.

"It was the "Quick" spell!" Terra exclaimed. She looked completely normal again, although a little beat. "I learned it from Raiden!" She held up the Magicite. "You don't even have to think about the mechanics of the spell you want to cast…all I had to do was focus my thoughts…"

"It was amazing!" Locke exclaimed. "But I expect nothing less from you, Terra."

"Nor do I," Celes smiled. "Thanks for saving us." She paused as she got up and pushed her hair back. "But now we know…that there are only two more dragons before Crusader is released…"

"I wonder if we even want that…" Edgar frowned. "We don't know much, besides the fact that Crusader is one bad-ass Esper."

"We shouldn't worry about it until when and if we defeat the rest of the dragons," Locke shrugged. "It's been a helluva night…I want to go back."

"Agreed," Celes yawned. "I can barely stand to be away from my sword much longer…and better yet, my real clothes."

"Is the sword an euphemism for something else…?" Edgar raised his eyebrows, and Celes gave him the death glare, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Edgar…why don't you take your euphemisms and stick them up your-"

---

"AHHHHHHHH!"

"CLANG!"

Sabin groaned as he opened his eyes, feeling that he was sitting up in something. It was cold and very uncomfortable, yet familiar. Looking down in the very dim light that was surrounding him, he found himself sitting high and pretty in a massive suit of Magitek Armor. He heard the clanging of its metal feet hitting the ground, and looked up to see Shadow marching towards him, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Magitek Armor!?" Sabin exclaimed. "What are we doing with this…?"

"Kuuuupo!" Mog cried, and Sabin and Shadow turned to see his machine going around in crazy circles. Mog was screaming and waving his short arms in the air.

"Hold onto the levers, Mog!" Sabin instructed over his squealing, and turned back to Shadow. "Do you think this has to do with…"

"When we broke into the Imperial Camp together? Yeah…Must be one of Cyan's worst memories…considering this is as nasty as a machine can get…" Shadow looked about his surroundings and simply shook his head.

Mog managed to calm his Magitek Armor down and gain control. The scenery was still tinted a hazy yellow, only this time the group was in a darkened coal mine, with pick axes, crates, and spilled coal everywhere. Swinging in the chilling breeze that was blowing through the exit were a few oil lamps that were strung along the cave walls. They could not see much beyond the cavern opening minus the drab yellow sky. Sabin couldn't tell if it were day or night.

"Let's explore outside…" Shadow suggested coolly. "We have these suits for protection, if we should need it."

"Please don't say that, kupo…" Mog whimpered.

Leading the group, Sabin pulled out ahead and drove through the exit of the cave, only to find himself at a sharp turn that led over a very worn-looking drawbridge. However, clambering over that drawbridge was Cyan again, riding in armor of his own as fast as he could to the other side. Chasing him were three soldiers in Magitek Armor, and all four of them disappeared once they rounded a corner and entered another cave.

"Let's go help him!" Sabin cried, and pulled down a lever. His armor shot across the bridge, and Sabin made a turn so that he could continue following the only path they had, which lead into another cavern. He saw the shining helmet of the last Imperial Soldier bob ahead of him into the darkness and disappear from sight. However, upon arriving inside, Sabin could hear or see nothing out of the ordinary. The fine dust on the cavern floor created by crushed rocks over time hadn't even been disturbed. Shadow and Mog pulled up behind him, nearly crashing into his armor.

"Why did you stop!?" Shadow demanded.

"They didn't come through here…" Sabin trailed off.

"They had to have," Mog protested. "We all saw them go in!"

Sabin couldn't argue with logic, although he still knew that something suspicious was going on. Marching ahead in the dark cavern, Sabin could just barely see by the light of the oil lamps when to turn and when to keep going straight. He was concentrating so hard on getting through without any mishaps that when the Returners finally emerged outside, it was only then that they realized that

had come through in a full circle. Ahead of them once more was the bridge, and the Magitek Armor's heavy footprints could be seen in the ground.

"A circle…" Shadow said.

"Where did Cyan and the others go…?" Mog sniffled. "This is really getting weird…"

Sabin sighed and looked around. Even though he could feel the wind against his cheek, he couldn't hear it. The only objects that made noise were the armor units and whatever they crashed against, and the tinted surroundings made pretty good proof that they were still far from the real world. He turned his unit around and marched back into the cavern that they had come from, with the others following. They carefully examined the walls, the ground, the crates, anything for some sort of trap or switch, but came up with nothing. Coming back outside, Sabin gasped as he saw Cyan again, this time crossing the bridge on his own.

"Cyan!!!" Mog cried, jumping up in his armor. "WAIT!"

The group hurried once more, racing over the bridge. But just as Cyan stopped and turned around on the other side, facing them, the bridge suddenly shuddered and snapped, causing everyone to scream and plummet downwards into the depths below…Sabin closed his eyes tightly and held his breath, figuring this time, they were done for. Wrexsoul had claimed Cyan's soul…and now its reality was collapsing! As he felt the wind whip against his skin and hair, the falling sensation enough to nearly make him sick in mid-air, he just hoped that the end would be mildly painless and quick.

"Help…please…somebody save him…"

A soft voice suddenly whispered in Sabin's ears, causing him to snap his eyes open just in time to see his armor crash into ground beneath him and hear the metal crunching beneath his body in a deafening roar.

But moments later, fate surprised the Returners once again. When Sabin opened his eyes once more, he found himself standing in what looked like the exact replication of Doma's grand hall. On his left was Mog, who still had his paws covering his eyes, and on his right was Shadow, slowly opening his eyes and feeling his body in wonder.

"We…didn't fall."

"Ohhh…ahhh…what?" Mog moved his paws and looked around. "We're alive!? And in Doma, no less…!" He paused. "But did anyone hear that voice right before we came here…?"

"Yeah, I heard it all right…" Shadow grunted. "Did we leave Cyan's soul?" Sabin slowly shook his head, noticing the throne room doors were slightly ajar ahead of them. Before, in the real Doma Castle, they had been locked tightly shut, just like all the other doors.

"No…look at everything. It's still tinted a funny color…" He wiped the sweat off his forehead and started to walk towards the throne room, the others immediately falling in step behind him. As Sabin pulled open the doors, he felt hot air rush against him, causing him to gasp and choke a little. Standing in the center of the throne room, right in front of a lone throne, was a tall, beautiful woman. Her golden hair was pulled up in an elegant ponytail set at the top of her head, decorated with shining rubies, pearls, and ribbons. Her white peasant-style blouse was pure and crisp, and a ruby skirt flowed down to her bare feet. Her eyes were big and sky blue, filled with tears, and her lips were a shining pink. As soon as the Returners stepped inside, she ran to them clasping her hands together and stifling a sob.

"Please…save my husband…save Cyan!" She cried, the bangles on her delicate wrists clanging together almost violently. It was clear to everyone that it was her voice they had heard during their fall from the bridge.

"You are…Cyan's wife…?" Sabin trailed off. He knew that she looked familiar, and he realized with grief that he had seen her ghost previously on the Phantom Train. Elayne nodded, crying gently and bringing a hand to her chest.

"We are inside Cyan's soul…And my husband continues to torture himself every day and night…He feels that he failed to defend Doma…The world is slowly dying…and then there is us, his only family…"

Suddenly, a small boy appeared from behind the throne. He was short, with blonde hair just like Elayne's that was curled and reached the nape of his neck. He too wore a crisp white shirt, and his jade pants were held up by elegant black suspenders. He walked over to Elayne, clutching her skirt and gazing up at the Returners wide-eyed. His eyes were a familiar, warm brown.

Owain… Sabin realized. Cyan's son…

"A beast known as Wrexsoul is taking advantage of my father," he said softly and suddenly.

"Wrexsoul is a composite monster…" Elayne sniffled. "…Made up of wretched spirits who were dispatched in meaningless wars and acts of violence…"

"They're wrecking havoc in Papa!" Owain cried out. "Please, help him! He doesn't deserve this to be happening!"

"Please…save Cyan…!" Elayne choked and closed her eyes. "I do not know what I can possibly do for him…he can no longer hear my voice!"

"Oh…but I can…"

Everyone turned, only to see Cyan sitting idly in the throne in front of them. He stood up slowly, his boots clacking on the marble floors as he stepped down and started to walk towards the group. Elayne gasped out, but Owain immediately hid behind her skirt once more.

"Cyan!" Shadow cried, a tone of relief in his voice. "We have been chasing you."

"Yes…the keyword behind "chase"," Cyan sneered, and stopped. "I was trying to get away from you, obviously. Why did you have to come after me?!"

"…What…?" Sabin trailed off, and Mog went up to Cyan, gently hugging his legs.

"Why Cyan, we were worried about you!" Mog exclaimed, nuzzling him. Cyan got a twisted look of disgust on his face unlike one the Returners had ever seen, and picked up Mog by the scruff. Mog squealed and kicked as he was lifted in the air, suddenly letting out a scream as Cyan roughly threw him backwards. Mog sailed right through Elayne and Owain's ghostly forms and into Sabin's stomach, causing him to moan out and collapse to the floor, Mog clutched in his arms.

"Cyan!" Elayne cried, clasping a hand over her mouth. Shadow growled.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I should ask you the same thing!" Cyan screamed, stomping his foot down on the floor. "Can't you see? I don't want to be a Returner anymore…I came back to Doma so that I could fall asleep and NEVER wake up! I WANTED Wrexsoul to take me!"

"Cyan…" Sabin moaned, trying to pull himself back up from the floor. "Why…?"

"Why…Why he asks!" Cyan burst out laughing and shook his head. "Of course you wouldn't know why…You're all so self-involved, how could you? Even when the answer is right before your eyes?" Shadow opened his mouth to retort, but Sabin stopped him just in time, standing and grabbing his arm. Cyan continued on, pacing in front of the throne now.

"Let me tell you something…Sabin…I mean, Prince Sabin…you go around…acting like you are all emphatic with everyone and playing the role as the rogue son of Great King Roni Figaro. When you forced your way into my life…you thought you were doing me a favor…but instead, you just brought me into more misery and chaos than I could ever imagine. You and your little group of girl scouts told me that we were all fighting for same cause, that we could all relate…but you were a liar."

"Cyan…no!" Sabin cried, his voice strained. "It's not like that!"

"It is very like that," Cyan snapped. "Your family was not entirely destroyed by the Empire…you still had your womanizing brother Edgar after Queen Rene and King Roni died. But what did you do? You ran away from home. You ran away from what you were blessed with! The Gods had

mercy on you and saved a shred of your family, but it wasn't good enough! The Gods allowed Figaro to prosper and become a haven for its people! And you think you are better than me and can feel sorry for me because of that! That makes you one son of a bitch. No offense to Queen Rene, of course."

"Cyan!!!" Sabin gasped, his eyes tearing up. "That's not true…that…I…"

"Cyan!" Elayne cried. "Stop this immediately!"

"Silence!" Cyan snapped. A wisp of gray smoke suddenly swirled around Elayne's head and wrapped around her mouth, causing her to gag and mumble against it. It was a typical muting spell.

"Let me ask you something!" Cyan snarled, walking closer to them now. "How many members of the Returners have seen their Kingdoms fall before their very eyes? Better yet…!" Cyan was right up in Sabin's face now, barking out his words with fire in his eyes. Sabin looked as if he were about to break down. He was shaking and sweating, and Mog was clinging to his legs.

"…How many of the Returners have lost their wives or husbands? How many have lost their children, their own flesh and blood?"

Something snapped in Shadow right at that moment. He strode up to Cyan, pulled back, and before anyone could see it coming, punched him right in the face. Cyan stumbled back, holding his bleeding nose and staring at Shadow.

"You don't know anything. You don't know just how much a person has truly lost in their lifetime unless you are that person. No one can exactly relate to another. But friends try to, they try and the other accepts their friendship and love. That's how things work. Everyone in the Returners has lost something dear to them. Terra lost her memories. Locke lost his fiancée. Celes lost her humanity. Edgar and Sabin lost their parents. Strago and Relm had their innocent existence shattered. I can go on with this list. Who are you to say that your loss is greater than theirs? Out of all the differences between all fourteen of us, I would say that our pain and loss is what equalizes us and binds us together. Who are you to denounce that?"

Mog and Sabin stared at Shadow, shock written all over their faces. Not only was it the most they had ever heard Shadow speak at one time, it was also the most emotional he had been. Cyan merely shook his head, wiping his nose and reaching at his sheath to draw his sword. "You are a fool, Shadow. You too, play just another role in this grand puppet show that Kefka runs. The mysterious ninja with no past! It has a place in drama, but not in real life. So tell me, Shadow. Tell me what it is you have lost?"

Shadow paused, staring Cyan straight in the eyes.

"I would say that you and I have more in common than you would think."

As Cyan snickered, Owain suddenly stepped out from behind Elayne, pointing to him.

"You are not Papa."

"Excuse me, son?" Cyan stopped laughing and turned to Owain, who was also staring him straight in the eyes.

"You are not Papa. You don't talk like him. You do a poor acting job." Cyan blinked and suddenly twitched, clutching his fists shut. Sabin rubbed his eyes and looked up at Cyan, as did Shadow, Mog, and Elayne.

"You little brat…I…Grrrrr…." Suddenly, Cyan's form began to smoke, and spontaneously combusted into fiery red and orange flames. Everyone gasped and Elayne pulled Owain back against the wall. When the smoke and fire cleared, in Cyan's place was a charred, skeleton-faced demon cloaked in deep violet, flames still licking at his lower form and hiding it from view. Attached to his back was a tarnished wheel of gold, shrunken heads, hands, and other various body parts dangling from it. His jaw dropped and he let out a deep, maniacal laugh. In two clouds of smoke, smaller, gray-cloaked versions of himself appeared, cackling and smelling of burning flesh and bone. Sabin straightened himself up and stepped forward, extending his claws.

"So…you must be Wrexsoul. I'll admit…you did have me a little fooled. But now, we want Cyan back."

"You're too late!" Wrexsoul smirked. "I may not have been the real Cyan, but my lines were pulled from his most deep inner thoughts and feelings…his pain has reached critical mass, and nothing can stop his feelings of rage and despair…"

"You are a liar!" Mog cried, hopping up front and shaking his fist. "Cyan does not feel those things!"

"Why would I lie?" Wrexsoul cackled. "I grow stronger with his anger, hatred, and guilt…I can feel it…and now…I hunger for you!" The flames rose around his body again, and the room flashed and began to glow with a ruby light. Wrexsoul disappeared, leaving his two mini-clones behind, and the room flashed brightly, causing everyone to cry out. A searing heat filled each of the Returners' bodies, and Wrexsoul's voice cackled out:

"I have possessed one of your bodies! As long as I am inside of you, I cannot be harmed…if you want to fight my true form, you must kill the person I am in! While I take a rest, my Soul Savers will begin the feeding on Cyan's sweet soul…Happy hunting! HA HA HA HA HA!"

"Grrr!" The Soul Savers cried, and bowed their heads, beginning to chant. Sabin, Shadow, and Mog turned to each other worriedly.

"Wrexsoul is inside one of us…" Mog whimpered.

"Damnit!" Shadow cried, smashing his fist against the wall. "This is unbelievable!" Sabin lowered his head, and closed his eyes. What was going to happen to them?

If we wait too long to act, the Soul Savers will devour Cyan's soul, and we will all die…if we try to find Wrexsoul…we may kill one of ourselves!

"Take this!" Mog suddenly cried, withdrawing a small knife and running forward, stabbing it into one of the Soul Savers. It lifted its head with a sad wail, tilting its head back and parting its arms as it burst into dust much like the Dream Stooges. Mog looked satisfied and was about to go after the other, when the pile of dust on the floor slowly rose, lighting on fire and bursting high into the air. Mog cried out and rolled backwards, and the same Soul Saver emerged from the flame, glaring at Mog and bowing its head down to continue chanting.

"GAH!" Mog ran back to Shadow and Sabin. "We can't kill it!"

"I expected as much…" Sabin sighed. "Wrexsoul is just reviving them from somewhere inside of us…they must be connected, if they are the things that feed. Or else, he wouldn't have the energy to have a form or revive them."

"I wonder how much time we have left before they finish…" Mog gulped. "Because when they do…"

"…Shut up," Shadow suddenly said, and Mog looked up at him, hurt.

"What?!"

"I think I have something," Shadow said slowly. "Something that kind of makes sense."

"What!?" Sabin cried. "For Gods' sake!"

"Well…if Sabin is right, then the Soul Savers are connected to Wrexsoul, right? One can't live without the other?"

"Yes!" Sabin said. "But we can't destroy them…"

"Not by normal means…" Shadow trailed off. "But earlier Sabin…you said demons needed to be exorcised."

"I did," Sabin said, sounding slightly irritated. "Thanks for paying attention."

"Well there is a spell…" Shadow said, trying not to smack Sabin. "…Which does not kill, but rather exports whatever is its target to another dimension…I learned about it in Jidoor on my way to the Coliseum…"

"What do you mean?" Mog asked. "How did you do that?"

"The auction house there was auctioning off things found in the wreckage of some of the destroyed towns," Shadow explained. "And the auctioneer said there were two "shiny stones" on sale…I bought them, and they happened to be Magicite."

"Magicite!" Sabin gasped.

"I learned the spells in them to help me fight," Shadow went on. "And one of them is called X-Zone…It has never killed any monsters I used it on…it has only made them disappear. I think it's worth a try."

"Cast it!" Mog cried. "Hurry!"

"But what if it takes one of us with it?" Sabin asked worriedly. "Is everyone here willing to take that risk?" Mog nodded, and Shadow did as well.

"Better to lose the real host of the enemy and make it only one casualty as opposed to several mistakes…right?"

"…I agree," Sabin concurred, and sighed. "It's the only way. Go ahead Shadow…cast X-Zone."

Shadow closed his eyes and began to mumble something that neither of the Returners could pick up. However, as he started the spell, the room began to tremble and quake, and the Soul Savers were starting to glow brighter colors.

"Faster!" Mog cried, jumping up and down. "Cyan…his soul is…"

"X-Zone!" Shadow suddenly cried, bright white light balls jumping from his fingertips and flying towards the Soul Savers. The light began to split and multiply into many tiny glittering orbs, spinning around the Soul Savers faster and faster and suddenly erupting into a black hole that ripped through the air and appeared behind them. The hole looked just like the dark night sky, with twinkling stars inside it. The Soul Savers stopped chanting and looked at each other right as the black hole enveloped them and shrunk silently, becoming smaller and smaller until it had disappeared. The room stopped shaking, and Shadow gasped out, stumbling back a little. Slowly, the red tint within the room began to fade: first to the ugly yellow, and then slowly, the yellow began to melt away too and reveal the true colors of the Doma throne room. Elayne's Silence spell was broken, and her first sound was a loud gasp as she clutched Owain against her.

"Are you ok, Shadow?" Sabin cried, rushing to his friend's side to hold him up.

"I'm fine," Shadow snapped, shrugging Sabin off. "It was nothing…just a little aftermath from the spell…I guess." Sabin cocked an eyebrow, and leaned in, whispering.

"So, did you know that you were the one possessed when you decided to cast the spell…?"

"Shut the hell up," Shadow snapped again, pushing Sabin away. Sabin couldn't help but smile to himself.

Shadow would never admit to being a selfless hero. It's not his style.

"Are you boys ok?" Elayne asked, walking over to them. "You were so brave, and I…"

"Thanks be to you…"

This time, when the group turned around, they saw the real Cyan, who was standing there with his arms wide open. Elayne cried out happily and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck while Owain grabbed his waist and held on tight. Cyan embraced his family and began to softly cry, stroking Elayne's hair and clutching Owain's shoulder.

"I heard you guys…and I heard my wife and child calling out to me…Your voices finally gave me the strength and courage I needed to come to grips with my suffering…"

"Thank you, my love…" Elayne smiled some, pulling back.

"Papa is strong!" Owain declared.

"He sure is," Sabin offered, coming over to Cyan. Cyan sighed, looking down.

"Well…no. It doesn't change that I couldn't do anything for anyone in the past…and it seems I still can't now…I am a man with no honor!"

"Goodness no…" Elayne shook her head. "Darling, you have entirely too much!" Cyan looked up at her, surprised. She and Owain were now standing side by side, and were slightly glowing.

"Papa, we love you!" Owain exclaimed.

"Yes…my beloved…we will always be together," Elayne smiled. "Please remember that. And also…I have one last favor to ask of you."

"I…what is it dear…?" Cyan asked, starting to choke up.

Elayne…Owain…every time…you are just taken away from me again…

"Please take good care of your friends…" Elayne lifted a hand to indicate Sabin, Shadow, and Mog. "Continue to fight by their side and save the world from Kefka's hateful intentions…And please be the Phoenix that raises beautiful Doma from her ashes! By the time you come home from war, she

will be ready to wake from her slumber." She smiled, her form starting to fade now. Owain gave a small wave, once again gently clinging to his mother's skirt.

"Good-bye, Papa…" His voice began to fade.

"Please, wait!" Cyan cried, running to them as their bodies disappeared. "P…Please…" He stopped and sighed, looking up as some glittering light escaped up into the air and faded away.

"We will always be together…"

"Look!" Mog exclaimed, and Cyan looked towards where he was pointing. Sitting on the throne, resting next to each other, was a piece of Magicite and a shining blade with a diamond-encrusted hilt. Cyan gasped and walked over, first lifting the sword and investigating it closely.

"This is…the royal blade of Doma…Aura. Aura is the sword of our brave Kings and Princes…I thought it was destroyed…" He took out his older sword, kissing its blade and setting it down in front of the throne before sheathing Aura. He then lifted up the Magicite, investigating it closely and gasping. "And this…it is the holy knight Alexander…" He looked up at the others. "The legend of Alexander was a treasured one in the house of Doma…and it turns out it was based on a real being…" He held the Magicite close to his heart and closed his eyes. "It is the story of Alexander that inspired me to become a knight…!"

"Do you…feel ok now?" Sabin asked, stepping forward. Cyan nodded slowly, opening his eyes and looking over at his friends.

"Elayne and Owain live on in my heart. I must leave the past behind…I have so much to live for….like my dear friends and the brand new future we are going to give all of the world!"

"That's the Cyan we know!" Mog exclaimed, and Cyan chuckled.

"I think we should go back to Figaro, doesn't thou think?"

"No...wait…that's the Cyan we know," Sabin winked. "Otherwise known as Mr. Thou."

As Sabin, Shadow, and Mog started up The Falcon, Cyan closed the doors of Doma Castle for the final time, and kneeled down, placing his right hand over his heart just as he did when he first pledged his allegiance to Doma and became a knight.

"Doma…my one and only home…I will fight for all your citizens when I defeat Kefka…I will bring you honor and once again, your colors will wave in the sky…"

"Cyan!" Mog cried from the deck of The Falcon. "Come on! The others are going to worry about us!"

"Coming!" Cyan called, and stood up, running towards the ship. A cool breeze rolled through the empty, dry grass fields that surrounded the castle. The summer was already starting to wane…soon Autumn would return. The night was at its peak, and it was nearly impossible for one to see at any distance. The was moon hidden among heavy gray clouds and the stars were hidden from sight in the black sky. Normally, such a sight would have depressed Cyan and indicated an omen, but he decided that things were going to change.

After all, it is always darkest before dawn.

Chapter Forty-Nine - "The End Comes…Beyond Chaos"

The next morning Terra awoke with a start, her heart beating frantically inside her chest.

Her window was open, and a soft late summer breeze was blowing inside her chambers, gently stirring the white silk curtains. It was sunny and bright outside, and the sky was painted a most perfect blue hue with tracings of white puffy clouds. Outside, she could even hear some of the attendants of the castle milling about in the courtyards, chattering. The castle had safely made its underground transfer after they had returned last night, and no one knew what had transpired in the Ancient Castle. Panting out, she looked about her surroundings, trying to figure out what had happened. A nightmare? Not that she could remember. Her door was locked exactly as she had left it last night, so no one could have come in and disturbed her. She could feel cold sweat dripping down her temples, and she shook her head, leaning back against her pillows.

The Earth is crying especially loud this morning…

Terra sighed, throwing back her covers and stepping out of her bed. She wasted no time washing up in her private bath quarters, pulling on her well-worn red Imperial uniform, and strapping on her dusty combat boots. As she swept her hair back into its traditional emerald ponytail, she watched herself in the pearl-framed mirror, she felt as if her heart were slowly and surely dropping into her stomach.

What is it…?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, Edgar and Sabin were having a discussion in the brothers' royal chambers. Sabin had first told the story about what had happened in Doma, and then Edgar shared his story about the Ancient Castle. When they were both finished, Sabin heaved a sigh and leaned back in his chair, glancing out the window. It had been a long night. After getting back from Doma and stopping by Locke's room to offer a reconciliation, which Locke was happy to accept, he went to he and his brothers' old chambers with the intent to brief over Doma and go to bed. Little did he know that something else of the paranormal had occurred back in Figaro as well!

"Is it morning already…?"

"I guess so…" Edgar yawned and sat up more in his chair.

"But I have more," Sabin said, and Edgar blinked.

"More what, news?"

"Yes…" Sabin trailed off. "You see…I think I have found Gau's father."

At first Edgar didn't say much. Sabin wondered if he even had heard him at first, and opened his mouth to repeat it when Edgar raised a hand.

"So you were looking into that too, brother?"

"Uh…well…" Sabin was a little confused, but shrugged. "I wasn't looking into it on purpose…it just so happened that I put some pieces together on my travels, and…" He stopped and scratched his head. "Does this mean you were looking into it?"

"Well…I have been ever since I met the boy…" Edgar stood up and went to the windows, slowly pulling the curtains open. "Mostly out of curiosity, I suppose. I had some of my men do some investigating. I mean…a wild boy that had been raised by creatures of the Veldt? It seemed unbelievable and besides that, he was a strong warrior for a teenager. I thought for sure that he was some sort of runaway merely hiding out from his real parents…" He sighed. "I just couldn't drag an innocent boy into this mess with Kefka. If I were his age, I might have been misled by the same ideas of justice and adventure. He reminded me of us when we were on the brink of adolescence…"

"What did you find…?" Sabin trailed off. "Is Gau a runaway? Is he just playing dumb with us?"

"Hardly, I'm afraid," Edgar replied. "There is a man who lives…"

"…Just offshore of the Lete River?" Sabin finished, and Edgar nodded.

"He seems out of his mind…but he kept telling my investigators that he had once had to throw a monster onto the Veldt that killed his wife…And citizens in both Mobliz and Nikeah told stories of a man who had thrown his baby onto the Veldt thirteen years prior…"

"I heard that story too…when I first washed into Nikeah from the Serpent Trench," Sabin sighed. "When I tried to ask Gau how old he was, he couldn't tell me. He said he forgot. But I had a sneaking suspicion that those two were linked somehow. When I first met the old man, he told me all the gibberish he told your men. But at the time, I hadn't even met Gau, so the thought didn't strike me until later…"

"According to what I found out, that man's name is Lucius Gray," Edgar said. "And he's actually not as old as he looks…but I'm afraid time has not treated him well. He was a fisherman, and he married a young woman a few years before they had their first child. Supposedly, they would take many trips to Nikeah and Mobliz together, and everyone that saw them thought they were the happiest couple in the world. The only problem was that apparently she was having trouble getting pregnant when the time came and they both wanted children. It was a miracle that she finally did, but unfortunately she died in childbirth and after that, the townspeople say Lucius snapped. At first they thought he killed himself because he never came to town anymore, but it turns out he was just living on his own off the land, away from anything and everyone."

"That's a terrible story," Sabin sighed. "He probably thought Gau was a monster in his deliriousness and that's why he disposed of him…Which makes me wonder if we should even bother telling Gau. I mean, will Gau even care? And besides that, will Lucius?"

"Even so, I would feel guilty knowing that Gau was still going to follow through with fighting Kefka without knowing what he may leave behind," Edgar sighed. "Even under his strength, he's still just a kid. I think you and I know best…kids that age need their parents…" Sabin looked down, and sighed. It was so true. He would pay any amount of Gil in the world to have his parents with him the entire time he was growing up.

"I understand where you are coming from, brother," Sabin said. "So let's take Gau to his father. Who knows…maybe the guy will snap out of it…"

"Let's surprise him…!" Edgar smiled slightly, his eyes brightening. "We can take him to the Figaro Tailor and get him a nice, new, distinguishing outfit too! I'll get the maids to do his hair!"

"Mmm…I think you might be a little too excited…" Sabin laughed, and got up. "I'm going to see if the others are up yet."

A few hours later, Sabin found himself trying desperately to get Gau to clean up his act in record timing as the others got things ready. The two were sitting at a table, and Sabin had ordered that the cook create a standard five-course lunch for Gau to try out his table manners with. However, things were not going so well.

"Gau, no!" Sabin cried. "For the last time, do not eat with your fingers!" Gau stopped pawing at his chicken and looked up at Sabin, grinning.

"Yahoo!"

"Arg!" Sabin waved his arms in frustration. "Don't say Yaoooo when you mean "Yes!"" Gau slowly nodded and parted his lips to speak.

"…HO!"

"…." Sabin sighed and leaned back in the chair. He figured that surely the tailor would be ready for them by now.

"How do you like these?" Terra gasped, pulling out a tight pair of britches and a ruffled white pirate-like shirt. "Wait!" She paused, dropping them and rushing over to an even more flamboyant ensemble consisting of a fur-trimmed sport jacket and matching pants. "What about these?" She caught the tailor giving her a horrified look, and she made a face and set the clothes down. "Did you say something?"

"Uh…no…nothing…" He trailed off, slinking away. Terra sighed and set down the suit. There was just so much to choose from! Oh well…

"Which is it going to be?" Celes asked, holding two outfits of her own. She was glancing between the two of them, shaking her head. "This one is nice…" She held up an open leather vest and pants. "But does it become Gau?"

The tailor, who had stumbled over to Celes, also looked fairly disgusted. Celes glanced at him and turned red.

"WHAT?"

"N…Nothing!" He cried, running away to the other side of his store. "Sorry!"

"What a jaunty hat!" Cyan chuckled, putting a big, feathered hat on Gau's bewildered head.

"Not for a young…" The tailor trailed off, quickly taking the hat back when Cyan wasn't looking. When Cyan turned around with a tie in his hands, he looked at Gau, blinking.

"Wait a minute. Where's the hat?"

"There!" Sabin stood back from Gau, smiling. Gau was dressed completely in black, right down to his socks. He was wearing too-long black slacks, a black button-up shirt, and a black tie and hat. "Functional, yet sporty!"

"Me go to funeral?" Gau blinked, looking at himself in the mirror. "Funeral is Gau's surprise?"

"Oh my…" The tailor sighed.

"Phew!" Setzer shook his head. "Completely lacking in fashion…" He pulled the tailor aside. "Excuse me sir, could you just order him clothes like the ones I'm wearing…?"

"Setzer!" Relm rolled her eyes. "Impossible…how dare you think of sticking him in that kind of getup?"

"What?" Setzer demanded. "Trench coats are all the rage right now!"

"I got it…" Edgar grinned. "A tuxedo, silk hat…and…a rose in his teeth!"

"I think that's overdoing it just a bit…" Locke chuckled. "He should just have a bandana!"

"What's so great about a bandana?" Edgar demanded. "Most of the time I see them tied to dogs on the beach!"

"What's that supposed to mean!" Locke growled, and stepped toward Edgar.

"There…I think that is very flattering on you, Gau…" The tailor stepped back from the boy, and everyone stopped chattering and turned to him. Gau was standing by the mirror, smoothing down a handsome navy blue suit, with a smooth crimson tie, brown, laced-up loafers, and a navy blue silk ribbon that held his ponytail in place behind his neck. He turned and smiled, and everyone let out an appreciative "Awww…"

"Perfect!" Celes smiled. "The most handsome boy in the world!"

"…Really?" Locke pouted.

The time had finally come. Setzer was landing the airship in a field nearby Lucius' home, and Sabin was escorting Gau towards the ramp.

"You ok, Gau?" Sabin chuckled, and Gau shrugged, laughing with him and still having no idea what was going on. "Any father would be glad to have a son like you!" Gau paused and looked up at Sabin, for one second his eyes flickering comprehension.

"…Hooo?"

Sabin took Gau down the ramp, and the others followed. While they stopped in the unkempt front yard, Sabin led Gau all the way to the door, and knocked. The door swung open, and there stood Lucius, as wild-eyed as ever. He looked over Sabin and Gau, blinking and scratching his head.

"Excuse me sir," Sabin smiled, and Lucius stamped his foot.

"Who in blazes are you!" Lucius cried, and then stopped. "Oh…The repairman!" Sabin rolled his eyes, and the other Returners gave each other a look.

"Sir…" Sabin said slowly and carefully, forming every word deliberately. "You had a son…right? Are you with me?" Lucius looked as confused as ever, but something was happening to Gau. His eyes were getting misty, and he let out a small sniffle as he looked the man up and down, catching his scent.

"…Son?" Lucius asked carefully, almost not sounding psychotic.

"Right!" Sabin said. "A lost son. But the truth is, he's alive! Come here, Gau!" He thrust Gau forward, and Gau gasped a little, looking up into the man's face and whimpering as he smiled.

"F-F-F-F….atherrr?" He cried out happily and suddenly threw his arms around Lucius' waist, closing his eyes and nuzzling his chest much like a fuzzy creature would. Lucius stared down at him for a moment, understanding and affection slowly seeping into his gaze. He smiled some, reaching

out to pat Gau's back. But suddenly, he blinked again, the distantness returning to his gaze, and pulled back abruptly, nearly causing Gau to fall forward on his face.

"What is this!" Lucius asked, and cackled. "What's with this "son" business?" He turned to Sabin, his hands on his hips. "I never had a son, you see. But now that you mention it, I once had a terrible dream. In it, a demon-child was born! I dreamt that it killed my beloved Diana and that I grabbed the creature, rushing off to the Veldt…It was crying like crazy when I got there, but I cast it off good and fast…" He started rambling so fast that he became incoherent, and Sabin looked brutally defeated. Gau straightened himself up and looked down at the porch he was standing on, letting out a little sigh. Sabin caught this and strengthened his resolve.

"But Sir…" He trailed off.

"I left the child there…" Lucius went on. "And without looking back, I turned and started to run!"

"No!" Sabin cried. "I'm trying to tell you…"

"Suddenly, the crying stopped. I turned, and to my surprise, I saw a frightful monster…Hideous! It still gives me the shakes…" Sabin sighed and looked away, afraid that he was about to lay one on the man at any moment now.

"I…I give up…"

Gau suddenly looked very tired and sad, until Lucius put his hand on Gau's shoulder, causing him to look up. Lucius grinned and patted Gau.

"But you, young man…your parents must be proud of you! They would be fools not to…But alas, I still dream of that demon child…it is frightening…"

"Why, you!" Sabin growled, pushing Gau out of the way and pulling back his fist. "He's completely out of his mind…"

"Uwaooo!" Gau cried, scrambling back up and grabbing hold of Sabin's wrist just in time. Lucius didn't even flinch, and do to the glazed over look in his eyes, he truly wouldn't have known what was about to hit him. Sabin stopped, panting out and looking down at Gau as he slowly lowered his fist. Looking embarrassed, he turned away, and Lucius took this as good-bye, stepping back inside his house and slamming the door behind him. Sabin slumped down the stairs, and the others came up to him, giving him condolences for at least trying. Gau came down the stairs, taking Sabin's hand as they started to retreat from the yard and go back to The Falcon.

"I'm really sorry…" Sabin shook his head. "I lost my temper and…" He stopped, and looked at Gau, who was smiling up at him.

"T..T…Thank you…" Gau drawled in his best possible pronunciation effort, his eyes bright. "F…F…F…Father alive…" He sniffled and rubbed away a smidgen of a tear. "Gau…happy."

On the deck of The Falcon, the Returners were standing together while Setzer stabilized the ship in mid-air. No one really knew what to say at this point, so they all fell into uncomfortable silence as the wind whipped past them. Gau was tugging idly at his tie, and eventually tore off all his clothes to be in his usual ratty shorts, leaving to retrieve his monster-skin cloak from the lower deck.

All at once, a loud explosion filled the air, causing The Falcon to shake violently as vapid, burning hot air filled the nostrils of the Returners and washed over the airship. Locke gasped and choked as he opened his eyes, just barely catching the pure white beam of light that shot past the ship and into the mountain range off of their horizon. The light smashed into some mountains, causing a massive explosion that shook The Falcon even harder and knocked some of the Returners down. A few moments later, another, more distant explosion went off, and smoke could be seen billowing up in a menacing, black tower.

Sabin pulled himself up from the deck and gasped. "It…It's…"

"The Light of Judgment?" Celes questioned, and Sabin nodded.

"Kefka is at it again?" Terra cried. "But why?"

"He must be getting restless!" Edgar growled, and Setzer quickly jerked The Falcon out of i mode, deciding he didn't want them to be a sitting target. As they started to pull away from the Lete River, another explosion let off, this time a beam zipping right above The Falcon and crash landing into the river, causing it to swell and explode beneath them, splashing everyone with water and chunks of destroyed, wet earth.

"This has to stop!" Gogo cried, holding onto the side of the airship for dear life. "Kefka is going to disfigure the planet even more than it already is!"

Terra felt her pulse start to race again, and suddenly, she understood why. She and Kefka were both creatures that could directly tap into the source of all magic, her being an Esper and him being the man who had somehow managed to come into it on his own. How, she didn't understand quite yet, but it was nonetheless a connection they shared. Terra could feel Kefka's anxiousness, his hunger for more destruction. It was pulsing through her body, the beams of light causing palpitations in her heart. It was a direct expense of his energies, and it was frighteningly powerful. To any magical creature, it was like a verbal expression of his emotions. Terra could feel it, and she saw that Mog could too by the look in his eyes. He was cowering behind Celes, clutching to her cape for dear life. Even Umaro looked upset, making low howls and hiding his purple snout with his huge hands.

"Kefka is waiting…" Terra trailed off, closing her eyes. "He's waiting…he knows we're alive and he wants to settle the score."

"Well then I suppose we'll have to take the bastard up on his invitation," Relm sneered. "I wouldn't want to keep him waiting…"

"Do we really want to do this now?" Setzer cried, struggling to maintain control of The Falcon and trying to pull it up and away from further attacks. "I'm just asking, because once I fly us to his tower, there may be no turning back!"

"I don't think we have a choice!" Terra cried. "If we fly anywhere else, he'll just hunt us down and kill us, along with all the innocent people in the town we'd be in! If we're at his tower, then at least he may be willing to hold fire on the world and deal with us!"

"That settles it. It's time to break into Kefka's domain." Edgar slammed his fist into his hand. Celes looked away, and Edgar looked over at her.

"Celes…what's wrong?" She looked up at him and Terra, frowning.

"Kefka…he's in there with the Statues, right? Could he be taking his power from them?"

"It's more than likely," Sabin replied. "But that has been his goal since before all of this even happened…so why bring it up now?"

Of course… Terra thought. Kefka must have succeeded in draining the Statues of their power…that's how he tapped into the magical energy he has…

"Well…" Celes coughed on the rush of air that was being forced down all their lungs and gasped. "The Statues give both Kefka and the Espers the energy they need to live, right? If we destroy the Statues…"

"What will happen?" Edgar questioned slowly, and Celes shook her head.

"I'm not sure…but…"

"The Espers…and magic too…will most surely disappear from this world," Strago said gravely, stepping in. "It is only logic. If the source of magic disappears, everything associated with it will die out as well." Edgar looked horrified.

"But then…"

"What will happen to Terra…?" Celes asked, turning toward her friend. Terra gasped and looked away, her face flushed with overwhelming distraught that she could not bear to show the others.

That's right…I am half-Esper…If the Statues die and Kefka as well…the energy half of my body needs to live will be gone…

Terra bit down on her lip.

I told Celes that sacrifices wouldn't be necessary for our final battle…I told her with full hope and confidence…but now I realize why she said it…she wasn't just thinking about herself…She was looking beyond…and thinking about me…

Terra shook her head, pushing past the others and gazing out at the scenery behind them. A good portion of the Lete River was now smoking, as were some of the mountains further back. Scanning those mountains, Terra's eyes fell on the abandoned valley that had once been Narshe. It was strange…even though she had hardly spent under two years of her life living outside the Empire's control, and even less of that in the snowy city, she had come to think of it as perhaps being her very own "hometown". It was in Narshe that Terra ultimately had been given a second chance at life by first an Esper brethren and then a wiry thief named Locke Cole. It was the town that Terra rushed to save by riding the Lete River with Banon, Edgar, and Sabin. When she had seen that it was abandoned, she felt as if she still belonged there.

Every aspect of Terra's previous life, her memories included, had been destroyed by Kefka. In truth, it was Kefka who had destroyed Terra herself the first day he placed the slave crown on her head. Although she wasn't exactly saddened that the Empire was gone, it was still something that Kefka had managed to sweep away with one wave of his hand. He was a powerful man to have been able to cripple her life so easily. But now, she was afraid that if she let Kefka win, he would destroy Narshe, the start of her new life. He would destroy Mobliz again, and all of the children. He might even steal her body and drain her of her memories once more.

She turned, slowly, and looked at her friends, whom were each watching her with gentle, loving eyes. There was no pressure for her to make a choice. Either way, they would still love her and see her through to the end, right? Her heart started to pound harder. It would be easy to take the safer road…but was that what they were fighting for, all fourteen of them, this whole time? Was that what each of the Returners had sacrificed for? At that moment, all she could think of were the things that they had given her…

And suddenly, the decision had become so easy.

"We need to go on," Terra finally said, her voice firm but proud. "I am not afraid."

"Terra…are you sure?" Celes asked worriedly. "We can wait…we can try to think of a different way…"

"It is not a risk I am willing to take," Terra smiled some. "We have far too much to lose if we do not defeat Kefka as soon as possible."

No one objected, but it could not be denied that right at that moment, Terra shined brighter than any star. She pushed some of her stray hair back, put her hand on her hip, and looked to Setzer. He watched for a moment, but the silence was broken by another loud and unexpected explosion,

which occurred only about a mile from their location. At the sound of that, Setzer jumped and ran over to the wheel, grasping it tightly and looking back at the group.

"Then we're going!" He cried, revving up the engine and looking back at everyone. "If anyone wants to get off, tell me now!" The Returners all paused and looked at each other, but nobody said a word. Setzer shrugged, and giving the engine all he had, shot The Falcon forward like a bullet towards the south…

"Hold on tightly!" Strago cried, "And stay down!"

Terra moaned out as she felt the wind violently whip back her ponytail, closing her eyes tighter and clinging to a pipe that emerged from the deck. She couldn't believe that all of this was happening so fast, right now. Even though it was her idea, she was still in shock. They were going to Kefka's Tower. This was surely going to be the end. Were they even remotely ready?

I need strength… Terra thought to herself, biting down on her lip. I need a strength and power greater than Kefka's…We won't be able to run from him much longer…and I won't survive if I can't find it!

Suddenly, Terra felt cool air pass over her body, and slowly opened her eyes. The air was gone, but she could see a long, bulky shadow crawling across the upper deck. The Falcon had slowed down, and she caught Setzer staring up into the sky.

"Setzer…?" She trailed off, looking up with him and gasping out.

Above the airship was the most hideous winged beast she had ever seen. The body was long, twisted, purple, and horned at the head, where a bulging yellow eye washed over her like a headlight and a jaw full of shining white teeth hung open. Attached at each side were ragged greenish-brown wings, with purple gnarled claws emerging from each one, various bones and deformities jutting out underneath the bat-like skin. It let out a shrieking howl, flapping its wings and circling around to fly over the ship again.

"What is THAT?" Cyan cried, sitting up some and not believing his eyes.

"It must be Doom Gaze," Shadow said. "One of the two creatures that was released when the Earth became the way it is today."

"I was told about Doom Gaze…" Celes trailed off. "If you look directly into its eye…you'll perish instantly…"

"Just keep driving!" Locke protested to Setzer. "Maybe we'll shake it off!"

"I'll do my best," Setzer said, giving the wheel a sharp turn and pulling down the level on his steering deck. The Falcon shuddered and shot forward again, while Terra and Celes tried to keep

steady enough to cast Holy spells to repel the creature. As Doom Gaze dared to fly in so close that the Returners could feel his cold breath, Edgar tried valiantly to jab and stab at it with his lance without looking directly at it. Sabin attacked it from behind with various Blitzes, and Gogo copycatted. All at once, Doom Gaze was hit with two Holy spells, the Grand Train lore, and various Espers who had come to the aide of all the other Returners that had summoned them. The creature started to shake and warble its cries, Shadow slicing off one of its wings with a dart just as it bounced off the deck, flying backwards and a sparkling heap and exploding behind the ship. The blast was so intense that it suddenly surged The Falcon even further forward, and Setzer cried out.

"I've lost control!"

A chunk of glittering Magicite bounced onto the deck from the explosion, but it went unnoticed as the team turned to see what had happened. Kefka's Tower was now in full view, and it was looming closer and closer by every second.

Setzer's steering wheel was spinning out of control. As the ship descended further and further down with greater speed, the panels of the tower becoming bigger and closer, it became obvious what was going to happen.

"Everyone hold on!" Celes cried. "We're going to crash!"

Terra closed her eyes shut and clung onto the closest thing next to her, Locke. She felt him pull her against his chest and dive to the deck, just as the sound of splintering wood, shattered rock, and breaking glass filled the air around them. Terra could feel nothing but the sensation of falling, falling, falling…her stomach leapt to her throat and she felt as if she were going to vomit. Suddenly, a violent crash erupted against her body, and she heard the sickening sound of The Falcon scrapping along a rocky surface at unbelievable speed. As she felt them start to slow down, she opened her eyes and tried to figure out if she was in one piece or not. However, all she could feel and see was Locke's body on her own. It was completely dark.

"Locke…" She whispered hoarsely. "Are you ok?"

The airship finally slid to a full and complete stop, by crashing into a wall. The stop jarred everyone, and caused the Magicite left behind by Doom Gaze to bounce a bit and clatter against the deck. Terra blinked and reached out for it, grasping it in her fingers as Locke moaned and started to push off of her.

"Yeah…I'm ok…" After he had managed to stand up and brush off his clothes, he helped Terra to her feet and they walked around, trying to rouse the others. It was still totally dark, and they could hardly see their hands in front of their faces.

"Terra…it seems like hardly anyone is around…" Locke said nervously. "I can't see anyone…" Terra swallowed and continued feeling around, her hand brushing over a body with long, silky hair and leather pants. It was Celes. Just as Terra had kneeled by Celes to wake her, three blinding

spotlights came on, shining down on the ship and then slowly spreading away, although one light did stay near The Falcon. Celes moaned, sensing the light and opening her eyes, pushing herself up and wincing.

"What the hell was that…?"

"Edgar, Sabin!" Locke could be heard exclaiming from the other side of the ship.

Terra looked around nervously in the dusty yellow light. "I don't see anyone else here Celes…I think it might just be you, Locke, Sabin, Edgar, and I…"

The two girls looked around, disturbed at their surroundings. Everywhere they looked were high, jagged piles of melded rock, metal, and in some places, what looked like skeletons. At first, the rock appeared to just be dark brown, but Terra noticed every few minutes it would warm to a brighter and brighter color, like glowing lava, and then recede back to darkness. Every time the rock lit up, the eye holes of the skeletons would glow a bright, sinister red. Below the airship was what looked like a path of some sort, which cut through the jagged rock and led downhill. She couldn't see much further than that. Besides the lights, everything above them was pitch darkness.

Suddenly a loud crackling burst in the air. Terra realized it was just her radio, and turned it on.

"Hello?"

"Terra…it's me, Gogo."

"Gogo!" Terra cried. "Where are you, are you ok?" She let out a shudder as the dusty light washed over her, sliding down the rest of the ship.

"I think we got separated somehow…" Gogo was very heard to hear, and Terra had to strain her ears to understand. "I'm with Setzer, Cyan, and Gau…hold on a minute." Terra's radio went dead, and she sighed shakily, sitting up on her knees.

"What?" Celes demanded.

"Gogo is with three of the others…" Terra sighed. "But I can barely understand him, and…" Her radio started to go off again, and she flipped it back on.

"Gogo?"

"No, Shadow." Terra heard a grunt in the background. "And Umaro."

"And Relm!" Another voice chimed in.

"Mog too!"

"What about Strago?" Terra gasped. "Where are you guys?"

"I found him!" Terra heard Relm say in the background. "Wake up, you lazy ass!"

"I'm not sure where we are…" Shadow trailed off. "I know. Look above you…do you see the lights?"

"I do," Terra replied, looking up. She could see a light flashing and sweeping to her distant right, a light flashing and sweeping around their airship, and a light flashing and sweeping to their left.

"What light are you closest to?" Shadow asked.

"The center, for sure," Terra said softly. "It keeps running over us…it feels creepy."

"Well, if you're the center, then I am to your right," Shadow replied. "I just talked to Gogo. It appears they are to your left."

"What are we going to do?" Terra asked softly. "All I see is darkness…darkness and jagged rock everywhere…there's no way we can climb it. I only see one path."

"Well then you'll just have to take that one path," Shadow instructed. "We'll take ours, and Gogo and the others will take theirs. I'm sure that somehow they all manage to lead to the same place."

"Alright…I suppose we have no other choice…" Terra flipped off her radio and looked at Celes. Now she had been joined by Locke, Sabin, and Edgar, and they were all staring at Terra and awaiting her news.

"Everyone is accounted for," Terra said. "The only problem is we are separated by walls of rock…and we are pretty much being forced to take the paths that are laid out for us."

"All roads lead to Kefka," Edgar sighed. "At least that is what I am guessing."

"There is only one way to find out," Celes said, standing up. "Have your weapons ready. You never know what the hell we'll run into here."

"Speaking of weapons…" Locke held up a finger, and then ran downstairs through what was now the broken hatch to the lower part of the airship. When he came back up, he was holding a pretty silver hilted sword with a long blade of platinum. In the left side of the blade were inscribed many runes, and the end of the hilt had a dangling charm with the biggest diamond on it any of the Returners had ever seen.

"Locke, where did you get that?" Celes asked.

"It's the Ragnarok, the sword I told you guys about before," Locke replied, and handed it to Celes. "It's yours. Take it for the fight."

"But…" Celes took the blade, amazed at how light it felt in her hands. "You said before it was nothing special. Just the metal on this thing could be enough to make anyone a Gillionaire twenty times over!"

"Trust me when I say it didn't look like that when I found it," Locke said. "The forger said something about it possibly being a holy sword…that's what I think may be behind its transformation."

"Are you sure I can have it?" Celes asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"You can borrow it!" Locke said. "Just for the final battle…'cause you know, magic isn't going to be enough. After this, I'm selling it."

"None of us are going to have money worries if we don't hurry along," Edgar said. "It may be already too late…"

The pathways that each group took all led towards the top of the tower, in one skewed way or another. At some points, the Returners would be plunging further and further down, and then suddenly come upon a towering staircase that took them to a new level. Terra was horrified to find out first hand just what had become of the former Imperial city, Vector. Some of the chambers she would find herself in were eerily reminiscent of the Imperial Palace, and Celes revealed in that many rooms also looked like part of the Magitek Factory she had explored looking for the cure for Terra's coma.

"It is like Kefka absorbed everything he wanted to build his own palace…"

The corridors and chambers were all filled with the most gruesome and frightening monsters the Returners had ever stumbled upon in their journey. Undead beasts, zombie samurai, and huge, slimy tentacle monsters were only a part of the frequent battles all three groups struggled in. Luckily, they had the Espers who were always willing to help in battle, but only if the summoner could find the strength to call them.

The higher the Returners climbed, the more they found their radios beginning to fail and fade in and out, and the harder it was for the groups to disable the various traps and riddles that Kefka had lovingly planted for them, à la The Phoenix Cave. Nearly two hours into the tower, the first group was exhausted from having to constantly backtrack and make sure they hit all the switches they could find, and from fighting all the battles that came with it. The second team's hands and knees ached from having to crawl through tunnels and tubes that were reminiscent of the Magitek Factory. The third team had not been heard from once.

Eventually, Terra and the others came into what looked like a long, majestic hallway. High above them, they could see a balcony, which was empty. The hallway was elevated slightly above what looked like two other hallways below them, one to the left and one to the right. At the end of each hallway was a switch on the floor. However, when Terra tried to hop down to one of them, she was thrown back violently into Celes.

"Whoa!" Terra cried, and Celes let out a grunt as she pulled Terra to her feet. "A force field!"

"I imagine the others are supposed to turn those on," Locke said. "It looks like we have our own switch right here." He pointed ahead, and sure enough, a switch was also lying on the floor for them. Sabin went over and stepped on it, but nothing happened.

"I hope the others come soon…" Terra bit down on her lip. "No one has radioed me."

scene...

"I wonder if it's dark outside yet?" Relm asked softly.

The party had stopped to rest in a portion of the tower that they had managed to lock all the doors to, so no one or nothing could invade and attack. It was an old part of the Magitek Factory, with a walkway built up above them, metal ladders and staircases everywhere. The room was dim and smelled of old, putrid metal, and in the distance, dripping water could be heard. Relm cuddled up closer to Strago, and he sighed.

"It probably is, by now," he offered.

"Arrrr…" Umaro yawned, and Mog reached over and gently patted his paw.

"Can anyone hear me?" Shadow grunted, talking into his radio. However, there was no static or any returning noise. He sighed, attaching it back to his belt. "It seems like we are completely cut off from everyone else…"

"I hope we see the others soon," Relm sighed. "I'm a little scared. What if something happened to them?"

"If all you can ask yourself is "What if", then it's not worth worrying over," Shadow said gruffly. "Trust me." Strago gave him a look, and Relm sighed, kicking at the metal floor and grunting.

"I'm really tired of wailing on monster ass."

Mog looked at her worriedly and smiled.

"If you don't want to rest, we can play a game, kupo." Curious, Relm scooted closer to Mog and Umaro, and Mog began to explain the rules of their "game", which apparently involved teasing

Umaro with green cherries. While they kept themselves occupied, Shadow gestured for Strago to come closer. Strago narrowed his eyes, and the two men got up and moved somewhere else to talk without any of the others even noticing.

"What?" Strago demanded.

"I've been thinking, and I want to ask you a favor," Shadow said, and Strago raised his eyebrows.

"You want to ask me a favor…pray tell, what did I do to deserve this?"

"Don't be so pretentious, old man," Shadow sneered, and Strago crossed his arms over his chest.

"Just tell me what you want and get it over with." To Strago's surprise, he saw Shadow's eyes grow less angry and the ninja looked off to the side, watching Relm and the others play.

"After this is all done and over with…I want you to make me disappear."

Strago coughed a little. "Excuse me?"

"You know Blue Magic, am I not correct? Therefore your powers will not be affected even after we destroy Kefka and the Statues."

"I know that, but I'm not sure I quite understand…" Strago blinked, getting flustered. "I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you're asking! I am not a murderer!"

"Calm down and shut up," Shadow snapped. "I don't want them to hear." Strago looked back at Relm, Mog, and Umaro, and sighed, turning to Shadow again. Shadow crossed his arms over his chest. "I know your kind has certain backwards magic spells that you practice, and I know one of them can cause memory loss." Strago sighed and leaned in closer, whispering now so that there was no chance his voice could carry.

"You just assume that I would cast that type of spell?" Strago demanded. "I have never used that in my life, and believe me, there was a point where I almost wanted to." He glanced back at Relm. "But just erasing your memory is not the answer. I don't care if you want to forget everything that happened. You can't. I don't care how much it hurts…you can't do it. We all have a penance!" Shadow glared at him.

"I don't want to erase my memory. What I want is for you to erase the memory of me in all the others." Strago paused, staring at Shadow. He could tell by the look in his eyes that he was dead serious.

"What…you want me to make the others forget about you?"

"Yeah…after all this is over with…I want to disappear. But the thing is…these people…they aren't going to just leave me be. They don't understand that they've given me a lot to think about. And I like to do my thinking alone." Shadow put his hand on his hip. "Do you understand?"

Strago struggled for words as he shook his head. "No…Shadow…I can't do this. I can't just make the Returners forget about you. It's the easy way out. And besides that…" He hesitated. "I don't care what you have to think about. If you leave…you are going to leave her and cut off any blood ties she might have to family. I'm not going to be around forever."

Shadow looked away, not saying anything for a moment. For one moment, perhaps, sadness flickered in his eyes. "She can never love another as she loves you. That is very obvious, even to me. Besides, she thinks you are her blood."

"But someday, some gossip in our town will reveal the truth…and she will hate me for lying." Strago glared.

"We both know that she will grow up happier and healthier without me." Shadow turned and started to walk away. "Just think about it."

Strago stared after him, using all his self-control not to swing his arms around and scream out his frustrations and what had just transpired. Mog suddenly tossed a green cherry out towards the set of staircases, laughing.

"Go get it, Umaro!"

Umaro howled and lumbered after the green cherry, causing Mog and Relm to burst out in a fit of giggles. Umaro slid on the floor a bit as he came to a stop and grabbed the cherry, popping it into his mouth and chewing loudly. Suddenly, there came a loud creaking, and everyone fell silent. The creaking got louder and louder, when all of a sudden, a writhing mass of twisted olive green muscles with three heads emerged from the large air duct above the stairs, diving down straight for Umaro!

"UMARO!" Relm cried, and the creature barely had time to look up before he scrambled down the stairs and rolled out of the way. The monster landed, crying out of all three of its mouths, two of which were revealed to be at the end of its stumpy arms. As it started to wriggle and slash its arms towards the others, pounding metal footsteps could be heard from behind him.

"Grrrrrr!" Umaro charged back up the stairs, lowering his head and ramming right into the back of the monster. It stumbled and fell over, howling and moaning and Umaro started to as Relm would say "wail on it". The two beasts rolled together, taking turns pounding and beating the life out of each other. Relm, a little frightened, stepped back towards Shadow and Mog.

"I've never seen Umaro get like that before…" She gulped right as Umaro climbed on top of the beast, swinging punches harder and bashing his head against the beast's.

"Umaro gets incredible strength and energy just from eating these little green cherries…" Mog said, pulling out some more from a little sack around his waist, whistling and throwing them toward him. Umaro looked up, craning his neck out and catching every cherry in his mouth. Relm gasped and covered her eyes as Umaro started to go berserk, tearing right into the monster before their eyes. A few moments later, the grunting and growling stopped, and there was a fading cry. When Relm opened her eyes again, the monster was gone, and Umaro was sitting down, blinking and picking his toes.

"Umaro, you crazy…you could have gotten hurt!" Mog exclaimed, bouncing over to him.

"You encouraged him with those damn cherries!" Strago protested, and Mog put a finger to his lips.

"Well that just goes to prove that we aren't safe anywhere in this hellhole," Shadow muttered. "So we should probably move on."

"I agree…" Relm shuddered. "I don't want to see one of those things jump out again."

scene...

"AHHHH!"

Gau was the last one to run screaming down the corridor, through an open doorway that he promptly slammed shut behind him. He started to pant out for breath as he leaned back against it, letting out a sudden scream as he felt something crash behind him and claw relentlessly at the door. Reaching back shakily, he snapped the lock and ran as far away as he could. At the end of the hall, he could see the others waiting for him.

"There you are!" Cyan gasped. "We thought we had lost you!"

"Everyone accounted for?" Setzer asked, taking a quick look. "Cyan, Gau, Gogo…Ok…good." He sighed, wiping sweat off his forehead. "I can't believe the zombies in here were smart enough to actually plan an ambush on us."

"Yeah, but did we really want to get chased here?" Gogo sighed, looking around. The group had been forced to run down a straight path and ended up in what looked just like the prison from Vector, complete with cells, rusty metal toilets, and skeletons of forgotten prisoners. Martha Stewart would have been proud. As long as the horde of zombies was still clawing and clamoring outside, they would be stuck in there.

"What are we going to do?" Cyan questioned. "I'm afraid they have an eternity to wait on us, whereas we do no have an eternity to wait on them."

"Grrr…"

"…Did you hear that?" Setzer asked, and everyone quieted down. Another soft growl emitted from a closed cell. Suddenly, the door to the cell flew off the hinges, slamming into the doorway behind them and just barely missing Gau's arm. The crash rang in the Returners' ears as heavy footsteps slammed and shook the metal floor below their feet. Emerging from the now empty doorway was a familiar sight- A growling, tail-swinging Atma. Atma hissed and swung one of her mighty clawed feet, all the Returners diving out of the way just in time. An angst-ridden voice suddenly filled their minds, and all at once, they knew it was the beast speaking to them.

"I am Atma…Left here since birth…forgotten in the river of Time…I've had an eternity to ponder the meaning of things…And now I have an answer."

Atma began to slowly walk towards the Returners, pushing them into a corner. Gau spotted a doorway all the way in the back of the holding cell, and dashed off to try it, but it was rusted shut. Pulling out a knife, he started to slash at the rusty lock that was holding it closed, and Setzer and the others launched a full scale attack with their Espers, summoning every one in their possession. Surprisingly, however, Atma did not counter the attacks. She merely kept marching on, snarling every once in a while and swinging her tail behind her. However, no one wanted to wait to see what Atma would do if she did get the Returners cornered.

Out of the corner of his eye amid the chaos of the Espers fighting, he spotted a little spinning fan on the upper side of Atma's right thigh. Narrowing his eyes, he took a few cards, aimed carefully, and let them fly. Striking the fan in a blitz of sparks and smoke, Atma suddenly paused and looked back at what had happened. The fan sputtered and came to a stop, stuck on the cards and making a horrible "whirrrrrr" sound. Doing a quick dodge roll to the left, Setzer realized that was a fan on her other thigh too, and aimed carefully to strike it as well. When the fan became jammed, Atma let out a painful howl and slumped to the floor, closing her eyes and warbling as more smoke began to pour not only out of her thighs, but her mouth and nostrils as well. After a few more pathetic cries, she remained still, and soon disappeared in a flash of violet light. The Espers surprised that the enemy had been defeated so quickly, looked at each other with little shrugs and disappeared back into their Magicite.

"…Was that it?" Gogo asked.

"This whole time…Atma was a machine?" Cyan questioned. "Or…"

"Perhaps Kefka made her into one after her first battle with the Returners…" Setzer paused. "Either way…what surprises me is that she didn't even attempt to finish us off…"

"Maybe she wanted to die," Gogo suggested, and the others turned to listen. "Did you hear what she told us? She was left, forgotten…maybe she was in pain and just wanted someone to come and kill her. We don't know the history of creatures like Atma. Maybe once, before all of this, Atma was a normal human who became a victim of the War of the Magi. Who knows, right? She said she had a lot of time to think…maybe that meant she had a lot of time to remember too."

Everyone looked down at the floor. Gogo had a valid point. They knew that Kefka had used countless creatures and monsters to make victims. But they had never really stopped to think of anything they encountered being victims themselves.

"Of course…" Setzer sighed some. "We would be naïve to think that Terra was the only innocent Kefka used in his grand scheme…"

Uwao!" Gau cheered, and the others all turned toward him. He had managed to cut off the rusty lock that was keeping them from making their exit and pushed open the door.

scene...

Shadow lead the team down the metal stairs, and they crossed through a threshold and into a new corridor lined with rocks, skeletons, and god only knew what else. As they climbed higher, the air began to get thicker and hotter, and at the end of the stairs, the party found themselves in a chunk of the Imperial Palace. The corridor was simple and small, and surprisingly, no monsters were to be found. After turning the corner into the next room, however, the team stopped dead in their tracks.

They were in what looked similar to a reception room, with stained crimson carpet spread out on the floor and statuettes both in tact and broken scattered about the room. A small set of stairs led up to a higher, carpeted platform, where something large was collapsed and still. Upon closer inspection, the Returners realized it was a huge, ancient pile of bones, probably from some great beast that had expired within the tower or become food for another monster. In fact, it almost resembled a dragon. The soft whistling of wind could be heard in the chamber, despite there being no windows or holes in the metal bolted walls. The only other thing in the room was a darkened, empty doorway, which was currently being blocked by whatever it was that was dead.

One by one, the Returners carefully stepped over the bones, making their way to the exit. Mog was the last one, half-hopping and half-flying across as he struggled to beat his tiny wings. Just as he managed a last hop to join the others, something cold and hard curled around his leg, causing him to gasp out and then scream in pain as it tightened mercilessly and lifted him into the air upside down. The others turned at his scream, Relm crying out.

"Mog!"

"HELP!" Mog cried, squirming and struggling as he felt his captor cutting deeper and deeper into his leg. The Moogle was now dangling helplessly from mid-air by a curled, jagged tail that looked as if it were made solely of vertebrae. The pile of bones suddenly began to rattle and quiver, with the legs extending and pushing themselves up and the massive, razor-toothed skull lifting on its own and glaring back toward the Returners with empty sockets for eyes. When Mog saw that the skeleton had come to life, he let out another blood-curdling scream and suddenly fell limp, passing out from shock. The skeleton rattled as it dropped its jaw open, swinging its tail over and preparing

to lower Mog into its mouth. The whistling sound became louder, and the Returners suddenly realized that the sound was actually the dragon's breathing.

"No!" Strago cried, immediately thrusting forth his staff and chanting an offense spell. Shadow launched a ninja star, which slashed through the dragon's tail and caused it to completely sever off. Mog, with the tail still curled around him collapsed to the ground in front of the dragon's mouth, while Umaro dashed out to grab him away. The dragon snapped at Umaro with the sharp sound of bone snapping against bone, Umaro dashing away just in time to avoid getting nipped by the jagged teeth. Angry, the dragon lifted itself higher, tilting its head back as if to roar with no sound coming out. Strago's spell came crashing down upon the beast, fireballs blasting everywhere and causing bones to fly in all directions. When the dust and flames finally cleared, only a few shattered remains were left behind, including a jaw bone. Panting out in relief, Strago leaned against a wall to rest as Relm went to work reviving Mog.

"It must have been the Death Dragon," Shadow snapped, kicking a bone out of the way. "Fairly easy defeat though, wouldn't you say?"

"I'd say that one of us almost getting eaten would not make this an easy defeat," Relm protested, familiar white light bathing Mog's body as her spell took effect, waking him up.

"Uhh...is everyone ok?" Mog moaned, slowly opening his eyes.

"Yes, thankfully, we are all ok!" Relm smiled. "And you?"

"Well, if I had pants, I would be wetting them right about now," Mog sighed. "That scared the living daylights out of me."

"I think we should not overstay our welcome and move on," Strago urged. "Before that thing decides to reassemble itself…" The thought of that did not sound pleasing to anyone, so a hasty exit was made into the next corridor. It was long and straight, with nothing ahead of them but a dead end. Looking around, Strago gasped and pointed up above them. "Look!"

Standing a few feet above them were Terra, Celes, Locke, Edgar, and Sabin! Sabin was sitting on the floor, but he seemed fine, as well as the others!

"Terra!" Relm cried, jumping up and down. Terra and the others turned and cried out happily, waving.

"Relm, you guys, you're all safe!" Terra exclaimed. "We were getting so worried! Why didn't you radio us?"

"Our radios haven't been working, kupo." Mog said. "What are you doing up there? Come here!"

"We can't," Celes said. "There is a force field separating our hallway from yours, and there is another one to our right. There is a switch at the end that you need to press."

Umaro lumbered over to the end of the hallway, stared at the switch for a moment, and cautiously stepped onto it. However, once again, nothing happened. Terra got down on her knees and called down to them.

"Did you guys run into any trouble?"

"We fought one of the seven dragons…" Shadow muttered. "And some freak that was inside the Magitek Factory. Seemed like a leftover monster from before."

"I'm so glad you're all safe though," Terra said. "I'm worried sick for everyone…" Strago glared over at Shadow.

"Are you selfish enough to give up the love your friends have for you?" He hissed, and Shadow turned away, not saying a word. Suddenly, a low moaning sound rushed through the corridor as a hot wind blew in, brushing past the Returners and then disappearing. Locke sighed and looked over towards the empty hall, and Celes clutched Ragnarok.

They knew that they were not safe, not even for a second, as long as Kefka was alive.

scene...

Setzer was the last one to slide through the long tunnel that dropped him off on a small conveyer belt that was running forward into a darkened area. He could see a glimpse of Gau's hair just as he disappeared into the darkness ahead of him. The factory area they had stumbled in was surprisingly quiet and still with the exception of the conveyer belts, which of course just made it all the more creepy. Giant crane hooks were suspended in mid-air, and certain machinery was covered in dust and rust.

As Setzer passed through the dark opening, a rush of hot wind blew in his face, which made him squint. A few moments later, the conveyer belt ended, and dropped him off at the edge of a rocky platform with a door in front of it. It was where the others were waiting.

"Shall we continue?" Gogo asked, and of course, everyone nodded. Gogo pulled open the door and led the group inside what looked like a small, simple room, with a few pots resting against the metal walls, and a smooth red carpet on the floor. In the back of the room was a doorway. However, the lighting was dim, and the corners of the room were submerged in deep, black shadows. As the group crossed the room towards the door, they heard the sound of what seemed like nails scraping across the floor, and the most definite sound of a pot being shattered. Slowly turning, Setzer came face to face with a disturbing sight.

Staring him dead in his eyes were a pair of emerald eyes the size of eggs, eyes that were connected to a long, shining gold scaly head, which was connected to a long, sleek neck and a sleek, long body. On the silent creature's back were a delicate pair of golden wings, and it was being supported by two pairs of bony legs that had sharp ivory claws protruding from knobby feet. The creature gently tilted its head, still staring at Setzer, and suddenly opened its mouth and let out an ear-piercing screech, baring its shining white fangs and saliva-soaked pointy tongue. Setzer gasped out and stumbled backwards, withdrawing his cards and shooting at the beast's neck. However, the cards merely bounced off and hit the floor, bursting into little piles of flame.

"What…what is that thing?" Cyan cried, and Gau pointed.

"Illumina Dragon! Must be! Shining and gold…illuminated!"

"Look out!" Gogo screamed, when suddenly, the Illumina dragon whirled around, swinging its tail violently and smashing it into the remaining pots behind the team. Cyan withdrew his sword and ran forwards, crying out as he took a leap into the air and came down onto the dragon's backside, hard. He suddenly cried out in pain, pulling back and dropping his sword as held his arms to his chest and fell to his knees.

"Arg…it was like slamming my sword into concrete…thy enemy has some type of armor-esque scales…but…there was something else there too…"

"Then we have to use magic!" Gogo said, and pulled out several Magicite shards, all glowing. As Gogo began to summon Espers, Setzer took out his own shards, holding them up in the air and calling out the names of his Espers, including Starlet so she could recover Cyan from his brutal mistake. Meanwhile, the Illumina Dragon was just getting started. Its eyes giving off a frightening gleam, lightning bolts suddenly began to shoot down from the ceiling above, striking in random places but almost hitting a Returner every time. As the lightning got stronger and faster, the scales on the dragon began to glow softly and spark a bit. Setzer suddenly realized that the dragon was not only casting the lightning spells, but was the source of their power. The dragon was made completely of electricity, which explained the shock Cyan felt and Setzer's cards lightning on fire. Gogo began to notice this observation as well, but before Setzer could say anything, a sudden bolt of lightening shot down and struck him right through the shoulder.

Setzer cried out in pain and stumbled to the floor, grasping his smoking shoulder and forcing himself to dodge roll out of the way just in time before he was hit head-on by another bolt. Gau jumped up and started to cast a healing spell as he dodged the bolts, and Setzer opened his mouth, only to taste smoke.

"Ugh…the dragon is made of electricity…We have to…use magic…" He started to cough violently, and Cyan rushed to his side, helping him sit up a bit in his arms and jerking him out of the way of more stray lightening.

"But how?" He asked nervously, watching as an Esper's attack bounced off the scales of the dragon and faded into thin air. "What can we use that won't bounce back?"

"A water spell, of course!" Gogo suddenly cried. "The water will fry the electricity!"

"I've got it!" Cyan said and right then, lifted up a Magicite Shard. "Bismark!"

The beautiful blue whale suddenly appeared before them, swirls of bubbles and ribbons of water surrounding it. Letting out a soft moan, Bismark turned and started to charge the dragon, the water ribbons suddenly forming aqua javelins and shooting out to stab the beast. A sick crackling noise could be heard, and the dragon writhed about and cried as the water splashed all over him and caused his flesh to start smoking and frying. With a mighty cry, Bismark slammed into Illumina Dragon and disappeared instantly in a burst of bubbles and water, which was more than enough to finish the suffering beast off. As the bubbles popped and the water began pouring down from them, the creature collapsed to the ground in a crackling mess of electricity and sparks and smoke, its skin rapidly melting away and revealing bone. When all the flesh had melted away, a few more pops of electricity snapped, and suddenly, all fell quiet. Gau completed his healing spell and cast it on Setzer, bringing back his breath and energy, and also causing the wound on his shoulder to stop smoking. As if by magic, the door behind them swung open, and a low whistling wind could be heard.

"Look at this…" Gogo trailed off, bending over and reaching within the remains of the dragon. Setzer strained his eyes to see, and realized that Gogo had found and picked up what looked like a very large piece of glittering Magicite.

"Did we just defeat the last dragon…?" Cyan trailed off. "Is that…Crusader?"

"Quite possibly...but I think before summoning it…we should let Terra have a look, don't you think?" Gogo replied.

"I whole heartedly agree," Setzer moaned, pulling himself up and brushing off his coat. "Is everyone ok to move on?"

The team agreed, and proceeded through the open doorway, leaving behind the remains of the Illumina Dragon…which had just begun to ebb away into dust…

"SETZER!" A voice cried out. "SETZER!"

Looking up, Setzer could see Terra standing at the edge of a platform above him, crying out his name. Although he could only see her, Celes, Locke, Edgar, and Sabin, he could have sworn he heard the voices of the others as well chattering from far off.

"Terra!" Setzer called back. "Are you guys ok?"

"We're fine!" Terra said. "And the others are down behind us! It would seem that we all made it!"

"Thank goodness for that!" Cyan exclaimed, and Gogo reached down, pulling out the new Magicite.

"Terra, I think you should have a look at this!" Gogo reached back and tossed the Magicite, but Terra cried out.

"No, don't! There's a force field…"

"But before she could finish, the Magicite easily flew through the air, as if nothing were there to obstruct it, and landed safely in Terra's hands. She blinked, taking the Magicite and holding it up to the little lighting they had in the room.

"What tremendous power…I can feel it practically quivering in my hands…" She blinked, and looked down at Gogo. "Where did you get this…? It feels…" She trailed off. "It feels dangerous…"

"We found it in the remains of a dragon we fought," Setzer explained, and heard Relm scream from across the room.

"We defeated a dragon too…!"

"So…that's it," Terra trailed off, looking the Magicite again. "We must have defeated all the dragons…and this must be Crusader." However, before she could finish, a loud rumbling broke out, and a door suddenly appeared in front of Terra and her party. She looked down, and saw that Gau had accidentally decided to take a rest on his group's switch.

"You guys don't move!" Celes instructed, and proceeded in through the new doorway. She immediately was faced with another switch, which she stepped upon. Outside, she heard a click, so she stepped off and joined the others to see if anything had happened.

"Celes, go back in there!" Mog exclaimed. "I don't know what you did, but do it again! A doorway appeared and then disappeared down here!"

"Same here!" Cyan exclaimed.

"Alright, I'm going!" Celes threw up her hands and went back inside, taking her place on the switch again and listening for the click. It came, but a few moments later, another click followed, and she heard groaning. Going back outside, she saw that everyone was exactly as she had left them.

"Why didn't you go through the door?" Celes demanded.

"When we stepped off our switches, our doors disappeared," Strago explained. "So…I would say that we are quite stuck."

"Mmmm…" Locke rubbed his chin and had a look around the room, suddenly brightening a little. "Maybe not!" He pointed up, towards a pair of balconies no one had noticed before. At the edge of each balcony was a weight, and if Locke was seeing things correctly, the weights were positioned exactly over the switches below the corridors. He ran in through the doorway, only instead of stopping at the switch like Celes, he took a left and came out on the balcony that was on Shadow, Strago, Relm, Mog, and Umaro's side. After making sure everyone was clear out of the way, Locke pushed the weight, and watched as it flew down and fell right on its mark- the switch. Then, running over to the right side, he did the same thing, and watched as the weight fell on that switch. He came back outside to the center hallway, and Terra spoke up.

"I'm afraid we may have to be separated again for a while…but everyone will continue to be careful, right?"

"Don't worry about us, Terra!" Relm said. "Worry about yourself!"

"Uh…what she means is, take care of yourself," Strago said, giving Relm a gentle smack upside her head, hissing. "Learn to be sensitive, Relm!" Relm made a face, but for once, didn't say anything. Terra smiled some and turned to her group members.

"Well…let us continue, yes? I'm sure Kefka is anxious to see us already."

"Terra…" Celes sighed, abruptly cutting herself off and turning away to walk ahead and turn on the doorway switch for the other groups. Terra bit down on her lip and watched her go, hearing the doors open for the other groups and watching them disappear to whatever Kefka's labyrinth had in store for them next. After they were all gone and they were alone, Terra silently led the boys in with her and motioned for Celes to let off the switch. Celes started to walk ahead faster than everyone, and Terra quickly caught up to her, gasping a little for breath.

"Celes…I…"

"Terra, quit making light of this," Celes snapped, and Terra blinked.

"What…?"

"Just don't joke, ok?" Celes glared at her. "Don't say things like 'Kefka is anxious to see us'! It…it's stupid." Celes looked down, and Terra reached down and took her hand.

"Celes…Please…I am not afraid of dying. You should not be afraid for me either…if I die, it will mean that we defeated Kefka…and for me…" She smiled some. "…For me…that will be the most wonderful thing." Celes down at her with an ice gaze.

"What…? No…the most wonderful thing would be you being alive, being with us…"

"I have taken so much from everyone," Terra suddenly said firmly, in a tone that surprised Celes. "Believe me…I will do anything to pay you all back. I am willing." Celes blinked and gave Terra's hand a squeeze before dropping it.

"So…you truly are…a soldier."

Meanwhile...

Kefka let out a tired yawn and pulled himself up from his seat, which instantly brought one of his remaining human lackeys to his side, bent on one knee. The rest, he figured, were surely dead by now, as he had transformed them into the most fabulous of monsters and sent them to attack the Returners hours ago, and they had not yet come back.

"My liege…what is it that troubles you?"

"Who remains in my tower?"

"Sir…?"

"Who remains?" Kefka asked icily, his idiotic smile not flinching a bit despite his tone.

"Uh…well…" The lackey gulped. "Atma…is dead…Inferno, Striker, and Rough…are dead…The two Dragons you captured have been slain…Oh, but, The Guardian unit is still operable and…"

"Enough, you pitiful cretin," Kefka snapped, and folded his hands together, as if in deep thought. "I thought it might come to this. Do not think I am unprepared."

"Oh, no sir, I never in the least thought…"

"Oh please…now you are just being a kiss ass," Kefka yawned again, and rubbed his eyes. "I've had enough of that." Thrusting out his hand, Kefka muttered a few words and turned away as his last lackey's neck instantly snapped, and he fell to the floor, dead. Throwing his cape back, Kefka walked back past his throne, past a few scattered bodies, and gazed out at the sight before him at the jagged edge of his royal hall.

Outside…it was nothing but darkness, and deep purple clouds had begun to crawl over the sky. Every once in a while, a crackle of white lightening would appear, quickly illuminating the black and the peaks of jagged mountains and then disappearing in a flash. For the first alternate dimension he had ever created on his own, Kefka thought he did a pretty neat job. Stepping off his platform and seemingly floating in mid-air, Kefka walked across some of the violent air currents that were rushing through, and raised his arms, closing his eyes.

"I am sorry that you will never get to see this sweet new paradise I call home…" Kefka smiled, and laughed to himself. "But my dear Returners, be rest assured that I will use it to plunge this planet

into a beautiful darkness…I would let you stick around to watch, but the truth is just the spell to do it will tear your pitiful human bodies apart…and I don't think you will be able to fully appreciate what I am doing for our poor, dying world…" He cackled again, his voice echoing in the eternal distance, and nearly doubled over from his laughter. Wiping tears of joy from his eyes, Kefka tried to regain his composure and raised his arms again, causing the lightening to crackle louder and for thunder to boom in the distance.

"This is the end of the line, friends…but please be gentle to those that I will send to make your graves…My girls are tired and hunger for those sweet Esper powers you have inside of you…" Bursting out into laughter again, Kefka's fingers were suddenly struck by multiple lightening bolts, causing his entire body to light up and his blonde hair to stand on end, his colorful robes flapping in the wind.

"Take the last bit of energy you will ever taste, My Sweet Statues…and use it to DESTROY THOSE DAMNED RETURNERS!"

To be continued in Chapter 50: Finale….

Chapter Fifty - Finale

Terra suddenly gasped out and closed her eyes, collapsing to the ground on her knees. A loud shrieking rang out in her ears as she reached up and struggled to cover them and block the sound out, her body shivering all over.

Ahh…I just felt a powerful surge…Kefka is draining…no…expelling…magical power…

"Terra!"

Terra blinked and opened her eyes, feeling as if she had been doused in cold water. She saw the faces of her comrades staring down at her anxiously.

"Are you ok?" Celes asked. "You just sort of blacked out there…"

"For how long?" Terra cried, climbing to her feet, her heart racing.

"Only five minutes," Locke replied, patting her shoulder. "It's ok now…"

"It's not ok…" Terra shook her head. "Kefka is doing something bad, I felt it. He just gave away a generous portion of his magic." Celes raised her eyebrows.

"Gave away? Who would he do that for?"

"I don't know," Terra shook her head. "But I imagine we will find out shortly on our own."

The team began to cautiously move forward, their surroundings reverting back to the ugly, barren wasteland of death they had first landed in. However, it was easy to tell that they were climbing higher in the tower. Looking down, Terra could see below them layers and layers of land that they had already crossed and explored, and in the very far distance, the badly beaten up Falcon. The hot air that had been whipping against their burned flesh was starting to get cooler and softer, and Terra even felt her ears start to pop a little from the higher elevation. Surrounding them now were higher peaks and crags of molten rock, bone, and various rubble and remains from whatever else it was Kefka had absorbed into his home. They had only one narrow path to follow that climbed up one of the bigger mountains of rubble towards a lone doorway erected near the top. Terra lowered her eyes to the path below her feet and continued walking, not saying another word. The steep incline the Returners had started to climb were making her calves burn, and the wind had suddenly picked up again, making her tattered dress flap against her scratched up legs. When she finally did look up again, she was disturbed to see that something big had appeared to block the doorway.

"What is that…?" Sabin whispered.

When the Returners had finally reached the ledge at the peak of their long climb, Terra realized that the thing blocking the doorway was one of the Statues. However, the Statue looked vastly different

from the last time she had seen it. It had large chunks of stone missing from its outspread wings, face, and body, it was scratched everywhere, and it looked as if someone had carved its eyes out with a sharp sword. Suddenly, one of the wings from its back fell to the ground and broke into several pieces, a black, glittering dust rising in the air from the rubble.

"Kefka must have done this…" Terra shook her head. "He truly did drain every bit of power from the Statues...and left them here to die."

As the last words fell from her lips, the Statue's empty eyes began to light up a deep crimson color, causing Terra to gasp and step back. Celes withdrew Ragnarok, and Locke, Edgar, and Sabin braced themselves. The Statue began to tremble and shake, more shards of rock clattering to the ground. Black light began to shine out of the cracks and crevices, and at once, all the remaining stone burst away in a glittering black dust and revealed a tall, slender woman, with glowing red eyes, an impossibly pale white face, with black lipstick, long black hair that reached her ankles, and one black shining wing that extended nearly five feet from her right shoulder blade. Hanging from her waist was a scrap of dirtied blood red cloth that barely concealed her hips, and her long, sleek hair gently fell over her small, white breasts. Extending a black-finger nailed hand, she grasped Terra by the throat and lifted her nearly two feet up into the air, causing Terra to gasp out and kick her legs frantically to no avail.

"You are but a half Esper…" The woman hissed in a throaty whisper, tightening her hold. "You have no chance of defeating me, Doom, one of the Three Statues…" She violently tossed Terra away, watching as Terra's body bounced off of the ground and nearly rolling off of the edge of the platform. Edgar dove down just in time, grasping Terra's hands as she slipped over the edge.

"EDGAR!" Terra cried, tears in her eyes as she choked for lost air.

"Hold on!" Edgar groaned, moving back and struggling to pull Terra up. Celes, Locke, and Sabin turned to the Statue, Celes suddenly leaping into the air and slashing at Doom's shoulder, Ragnarok slicing through the flesh as Celes flipped and landed behind her. Black blood began to spray out, causing Doom to narrow her eyes and immediately counter, swinging around and smashing Celes with a black, crackling ball of energy. Celes cried out and slammed up against the door, her eyes rolling back in her head as she slid down and remained still, Ragnarok falling from her fingers.

Locke and Sabin took their turns, ambushing Doom from both sides with their weapons cutting into her and creating deep wounds that gushed more of the thick black blood down her stomach and thighs. Just as Edgar had managed to pull Terra all the way up, Doom countered with two amazingly fast twin Blizzaga spells, blurs of ice crystals and snow blinding the men as ice shards flew down from the heavens and sliced them every which way, causing them to collapse to the ground. Terra cried out at the sight and immediately changed into her Esper form, taking Doom by surprise by charging her in midair and slamming her up above the doorway Celes was collapsed under. Seething, Terra began to pummel Doom's face with blinding speed while one hand was wrapped firmly around her neck, pinning her against the wall. Doom's eyes widened more, her voice gagging and choking out as Terra decked her over and over again.

Meanwhile, Edgar had slipped beneath them, unsheathing his Holy Lance and taking a long, hard swing at Doom's abdomen. The blade sliced through cleanly, severing at the cut and causing Doom's lower half to fall to the ground in a bloody heap, oozing buckets of blood as the legs continued to twitch and struggle. The Statue let out an ear-shattering scream, her body going limp underneath Terra's hands in moments and her eyes closing. Terra gasped out as she released the rest of Doom's body, letting it fall onto the other half with a sickening "thwap" sound. A few seconds later, the blood and body parts disappeared in a burst of black dust, as if nothing had happened.

"Uh…" Celes moaned, opening her eyes slowly and looking around. "What's going on?" When she saw Sabin and Locke lying still and bleeding from a considerable amount of cuts on their bodies, she gasped out and crawled over to them, immediately chanting a healing spell.

Terra landed back on the platform and reverted back to her human form, her eyes wide from the sight she had just witnessed. Edgar cleaned the black blood off his lance with his cape and looked up at Terra nervously.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine now…" Terra shook her head. "It's just that…we just killed one of the Statues…A source of Magic…"

"We had to though…" Edgar walked over to Terra, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If we didn't, we all would have been…"

"I know," Terra sighed, and hugged herself, closing her eyes. "She must had been corrupted by Kefka…There was nothing else we could do."

After Celes had healed all of the wounded, the team wearily proceeded through the doorway Doom had previously been blocking. Inside, they found themselves in a familiar, wide corridor, with three different levels, three pillars at the end of each level. Gently reaching out, Terra was once again given a shock from the force field system she had a feeling was surrounding them. Looking up at the ceiling, Locke was surprised to see pure glass encasing them, something black, purple, and smoky swirling around inside. It almost looked as if it were a storm. Other than the lightening that occasionally flashed above the ceiling, the room was dark. As soon as she stepped upon the pillar at the end of their path, Terra felt a hot white light shine down upon her, like a spotlight. However, nothing else happened.

Scene…

Setzer, Gogo, Cyan, and Gau had found themselves in what looked like another replica of the Magitek Factory in Vector. Walking down a long and empty hallway, they were surrounded by perhaps dozens of empty and shattered tall glass tubes, which had probably at one point been holding cells for Espers. The water that had been inside them had drained and was all over the floor,

causing their footsteps to make splashes that occasionally broke the silence. The fact that they had not seen one enemy or monster was beginning to make everyone nervous, along with the fact that it seemed like someone had gone through and shattered most of the lights in the corridor, making it dusky and hard to see.

"I see a tube up ahead…looks like we're going to have to climb our way out of here," Setzer said, and the others nodded. Taking the lead, Setzer climbed in first, shuddering at the feeling of water dripping down into his coat neck and proceeding forward. The others followed behind him, and a few moments later they had all emerged into yet another factory-esque room, this one lit up a little better but still strangely empty. At the other side of the room there was a ladder, which led up to a small platform and an exit.

Suddenly, the lights all flickered and then dimmed, submerging the room in complete darkness. Cyan let out a little noise of surprise, but almost immediately, the lights flickered back on, causing everyone to sigh in relief. Stepping forward, Setzer's foot hit something hard. He looked down to see a pile of shattered stone and crystal at his feet, and frowned, knowing that they were not there seconds before. Gau whimpered softly and pointed up towards the exit, and the Returners realized they were no longer alone.

Sitting at the edge of the ladder was a long-legged woman. Her blonde hair was the color of pure-spun gold, and fell down her shoulders and body in soft, delicate curls. Her eyes were wide and blue, and her lips a delicate pink. Around her slender and elegant neck were layers and layers of crystals and diamonds, as well as around her wrists and bare ankles. She wore a simple yet stunningly beautiful white gown that gently wrapped around her curves and fell just above her knees in an uneven pattern. Her feet were naked, and the parting of the fabric on her chest revealed a snug valley of cleavage. Around her forehead was wrapped a golden headband, with one giant sapphire set in the center. Spotting them, the young woman leapt down from the top of the ladder, floating to the ground as if she had invisible wings. She approached the Returners, and suddenly, Setzer felt a little dizzy. He could have sworn that she was gazing right at him directly into his gray eyes. Cyan too, felt his pulse quickening, and thought that she were gazing at him. Gogo and Gau looked at each other suspiciously. They both noticed that the sapphire on her tiara had a particularly strange glow.

"Excuse me…" The woman finally spoke, her voice as clear and beautiful as the sound of a thousand bells. "I'm afraid I'm lost…" Setzer and Cyan nodded in unison, both stepping up to her and taking her delicate peach-colored hands.

"You shouldn't be here," Setzer replied, his voice suddenly a little off and lacking of his usual gruffness. "It's far too dangerous."

"Yes, M' lady, you must leave immediately," Cyan said, his gaze not leaving her face once. "Kefka will surely kill thou if he realizes you are here." The woman looked at both Setzer and Cyan, smiling and suddenly slipping her arms around their bodies and gently pressing them against her so that their cheeks rested against her round breasts. Gazing up Gogo and Gau, she smiled more, but

her eyebrow twitched slightly when she saw that they weren't smiling back. Setzer and Cyan did not move an inch but to look up at the lovely woman's face.

"Kefka…he would not kill me," She said in a soothing voice, practically dripping with sugar and honey. "Kefka is my master. He could become your master too; if you wished it…and then we could be together forever, my loves…wouldn't you boys all want that?" Gogo smirked, and the woman blinked, faltering for a moment before going on. "I…I can promise you nothing less than the greatest pleasures your bodies and soul have to offer if you join me…"

At this point, Setzer and Cyan's eyes had slid shut, and Gau and Gogo gave each other a look. Something was definitely going on. The woman looked down at Setzer and Cyan, gently shook them to make sure they didn't move, and then suddenly turned violent. Slamming the two limp bodies on the floor, she glared up at Gogo and Gau and sneered.

"Why didn't you two fall under my spell! It has never failed on any man in the history of my existence! I know how to manipulate every weakness in the male psyche…"

"Well, that explains it," Gogo smirked, raising a hand. "Gau here is just an innocent boy…he doesn't care about the wares you are selling," The woman twitched with rage, and Gogo laughed heartily. "And I…well…that is a secret for another day…" The woman was red with anger now, and Gogo stepped forward, Gau following. "So why don't you just spare us your whoreish games and tell us who you really are?"

"I am Goddess, one of the three Statues that belong to Master Kefka," she spat. "And let me assure you right now, you will not escape from this tower with your lives."

"You are nothing but a puppet, now," Gogo snapped. "Before, a Statue would call no human their master. Wake up! Kefka has drained you and manipulated you for himself!"

"Lies!" Goddess screamed, swinging her hand that sparkled with countless jewels. "I will not take this from a cretin like you!"

"I'm not afraid to hit a girl," Gogo replied calmly. "I don't play by the rules."

"Gau not play by the rules either!" Gau snapped, and made a swipe at Goddess. She gasped and stepped back, shaking her head.

"You won't be fighting me," she hissed, and snapped her fingers. "But rather, my new subordinates. Boys!" Suddenly, Setzer and Cyan opened their eyes, both pulling themselves up from the floor and looking up at Goddess, their eyes locked dead onto hers.

"Destroy these fools and bring me their heads, so that I may present them as gifts for Master Kefka," Goddess sneered, and with that, turned and started to walk away. As she did so, Gogo quickly reached down and pulled out a small throwing knife, aiming and launching it right for

Goddess' bare back. But without warning, Setzer suddenly dove in the way of the knife and let it plunge into his shoulder, rolling to the floor as blood started to drip from the wound. Gogo gasped out, and Gau wailed.

"Setzer! What the hell are you…?"

Setzer did not reply, but merely stood up and with a jerk of his wrist, removed the knife and threw it to the floor. Goddess turned around and smiled, blowing Gogo a kiss.

"Don't bother trying to hit me, you fool…you'll just kill your friends faster and keep me from the pleasure of doing it myself…They are my loving slaves now, and they will go through any length to assure that I am unharmed."

"Oh no…" Gau moaned. "Charm…Charm…"

Cyan withdrew his blade and approached Gogo and Gau, swinging it wildly back and forth. Gogo shoved something small into Gau's hands and told him to hide, turning to Cyan and pulling out a magic staff. Setzer launched a set of razor-bladed cards, but Gogo easily deflected them with the staff. Gau scampered back where he could be safe and took out what Gogo had given him, holding it high into the air.

"Whoa!" Gogo squealed as Cyan dove forward with his blade, flipping backwards and just narrowly missing another round of cards. Swinging low, Gogo smashed the staff into Cyan's feet, tripping him and causing him to fall down flat on his face. Stepping over Cyan, Gogo then bombarded Setzer, swinging the staff to knock away the rest of the cards in his hand and pushing him to the floor to pin him. As those two struggled, Cyan pulled himself to his feet and started to stagger over to Gogo, his blade raised high in the air…

"UNICORN!" Gau suddenly cried, and in a burst of colorful light and smoke, a galloping white horse with a shining golden horn appeared, leaping into the air and arching its body as it whinnied. A shining beam of sunlight burst from the tip of Unicorn's horn, washing the room in a warm and soothing glow and then disappearing in a flash of purple light. Goddess gasped out and raised her hand over her eyes so she could see through the blinding light.

"What was that!"

Cyan suddenly lowered his sword, blinking and looking around, and Setzer stopped struggling underneath Gogo, looking up and then looking back at Gau, a seriously confused look on his face.

"That was Unicorn, an Esper that heals all ailments of the mind," Gogo replied calmly, getting up off of Setzer and approaching Goddess once more. "An Esper that was once an innocent human you transformed and dragged into the War of the Magi." Goddess shook her head as Gau joined up with Cyan and Setzer, checking to make sure if they were ok. Gogo then suddenly reached in and grabbed Goddess by all her necklaces, pulling her close as she sputtered and gagged.

"No…you can't touch me…you can't!"

Without another word, the mime reached up, ripping Goddess' tiara from her forehead and dropped it to the floor, smashing the glowing sapphire in it underneath a boot. As soon as it had shattered, Goddess screamed out, collapsing to the floor in a huddled heap and covering her face. Her hair began to rapidly turn from golden to silvery gray, and her fine skin folded up into itself and created hundreds and hundreds of wrinkles instantly. Her soft hands transforming into knobby claws that now barely concealed her face, Goddess looked up, causing Gogo to shudder. Her skin was rotting and falling off of her face in peeled chunks, revealing parts of her white skull underneath. Her jaw bone swung up and down as she struggled to speak.

"Stop him…stop Kefka…" Before she could say anymore, her body burst into white dust, which settled into a little pile on the floor before being blown away by a sudden gust of wind.

Setzer rubbed his freshly healed but tender shoulder, moaning and shaking his head.

"Oh man…we were really under her control?"

"Uwaoo," Gau nodded, and hugged Setzer and Cyan. "Gau glad you are safe!"

"I am sorry to let you down," Cyan hung his head, and Gogo came over.

"It's not your fault, her magic was just too strong," Gogo assured him. "She was under Kefka's control…"

"Let's get out of here, ok?" Setzer asked. "Before one of the other Statues decides to come in and join us…"

"Very good idea," Cyan replied, sheathing his sword.

The party proceeded up the ladder that Goddess had been sitting upon, pushing open the door before them and coming into a dim room. Above them, shining in the center of the room was a spotlight shining down on the figure of a girl, and even further above her was a glass ceiling with purple and black clouds rolling around behind it, a threatening sound of thunder echoing in the distance.

Scene…

"Bzzzz…whirr…beep…!"

"And you can have this for dessert!" Relm snapped, casting a Thundaga spell on the hunk of scrap metal that had once been The Guardian. After the spell crashed down upon the smoking machine, it

made one last static cry and broke down, all the lights on its unit fading to black. Relm gently kicked at it and smiled.

"That was fun!"

"We did not fight that thing for fun; we fought it so that we could get through!" Strago cried. "And you, young lady, needed to stay out of the way! What if you had gotten hurt?"

"I'm not apologizing for being a badass, Gramps," Relm sighed, and adjusted her hat. "Right guys?" She looked over at Shadow, Mog, and Umaro, who decided it was best not to reply.

"Whatever, we must continue on," Strago said, grabbing Relm by the hand and dragging her forward. "The others are surely waiting for us, and probably did not have to fight Guardians of their own."

"I think monsters are just attracted to us, kupo," Mog sighed as they exited the hall they were in. "It seems like we've gotten into sooo many battles…"

Once again, the Returners found themselves in what would have been considered "the outside courtyard" Kefka had provided for his tower visitors. They were so high up that Mog would get dizzy whenever he looked down. One empty, twisting path was ahead of them, the only thing that gave them the slightest inclination of where they needed to go. After scaling the tall, jagged path, the party emerged through a darkened entryway and stepped into a sweltering chamber.

The walls were aglow with blazing red light, more skeletons melded into the stone and magical fiery substance. Relm, shivering a little, gently clung to her grandpa's cape. For the first time, fear could be seen behind her wide eyes. The path soon became very narrow and even more jagged, sharp rocks protruding from the floor and crystals that looked as if they had been doused in fresh blood. On each side of the path was a gaping black pit, which appeared to be bottomless. Steam and something with a foul stench rose from the bowels below.

Shadow, much to everyone's surprise, was insistent on leading the party and shielding the others from anything that might try to stop them. After safely crossing the steaming pit, they emerged into another open area, a scream ripping out.

"Be on your guard," Shadow hissed, and Relm and Mog gasped, clinging to as many Magicite shards as they could hold in their hands.

Another scream rang out, and the sound of beating wings could be heard. A rain of stone and ash began to pour down over the group, everyone crying out and covering their heads as the stones smashed against their hands and cut into their knuckles. The flapping noise became louder, and a hot wind cut through Shadow's black suit as a figure landed in the path of the group.

She was short, with flaming red locks that were so slick and smooth; they shone despite there being hardly any light in the chamber. Her hair hung down to her mid-back, and she was outfitted in a somewhat elegant black dress, the sleeves hanging off her shoulders and the hem first cutting off at her thigh and then trailing down to her knees in a smooth cut. Strapped on her legs were knee-high leather boots, fastened with shining silver buckles that matched the one on the crimson choker around her neck. In one hand, she held a sleek, tall onyx staff, and folded on her back were a pair of black, bat-like wings with little claws extending from each line of bone. Her sharp green eyes flashed angrily as she looked over the Returners.

"Who are you?" Shadow growled. Before she could reply, he reached out, grabbing her by the hair with one hand and holding his knife to her neck with the other. The girl, hardly so much without a whimper, kneed Shadow in the stomach and promptly kicked him away, holding her staff in front of her.

"Do not speak to me in that sniveling tone," the girl hissed. "Not in my realm."

"Do you work for Kefka?" Relm asked nervously, and the woman's eyes flashed again, glaring down at the little girl.

"It does not matter, none of this matters," she hissed. "I am Poltergeist, one of the three Statues. I felt the weakening of my sisters' auras, and I must find them!"

"What…?" Relm blinked. "The other Statues are here? So you must be being held by Kefka…let us help you find them!"

"SILENCE!" She cried, raising her staff and bringing it down over Relm. Before Relm could even scream, Shadow dashed out from where he was laying and pushed her down, shielding her as the head of the staff smashed down onto the ground. When she lifted it back up, the Returners could see that where it had hit made a deep crack.

"GRRR!" Umaro growled, lowering his head and starting to charge. Poltergeist quickly side-stepped and Umaro ended up crashing into the side of a rock wall, bouncing backwards onto his back and moaning. Smirking, Poltergeist tapped her staff to the ground and disappeared, teleporting behind the Returners and waving her hand.

"Bio."

Green, bubbling ooze began to boil out from the ground up, forming huge bubbles around each Returner and filling their lungs with toxic gas. When each bubble popped, the person within collapsed, gasping for breath as their face tinted a light blue.

"Just lay there, let the poison feed on your strength, and die, ok?" Poltergeist smiled. "I promise it should only take a few moments. You don't look very strong." As she started to cross into the next

room, Shadow pulled himself up to his knees, reaching down to his belt and throwing a poison-tipped star.

It sliced through the air, flying into the Statue's back and cutting through her chest in less than ten seconds. Letting out a short choking noise, Poltergeist stumbled and fell over, hitting the ground and crumbling away into a pile of dust and ash, the only thing remaining her staff.

"Ugh…" Mog moaned, dragging himself up to his feet and starting to do a weary, slow dance. His eyes were rolling into the back of his head, and just a few seconds in, his feet were starting to feel like lead weights.

"Mog, don't…" Strago moaned. "I'm sure I can find some Remedies…"

"Ku…oh…!" Mog suddenly fell flat on his face, his breathing labored as he mumbled into the ground. "Harvester…!"

A soft, green sparkling light began to gently float around the Returners, settling on their skin and sinking in, their bodies glowing white for a few moments before fading back to normal. Relm opened her eyes, slowly sitting up and gazing at her hands.

"Mog, you did it!"

"Yeah…guess I did…" Mog mumbled, his eyes closing. "But I'm sleepy…"

"Grrrah…Moooog…" Umaro cooed, lumbering over to the Moogle clumsily and scooping the little guy up in his arms. "Goooood….Mooooog…"

"You get your rest Mog, we'll carry you the rest of the way!" Relm smiled, reaching over and petting his head. But the exhausted Moogle had already fallen asleep.

"That woman was a real bitch," Shadow muttered as they started to continue on. "But, it wasn't a hollow victory, I suppose."

"I feel sorry for her," Strago said, using his staff as a crutch now as they started to climb up another ledge. "Obviously she was possessed by Kefka; I could sense the aura of darkness around her. I imagine her sisters were too, and that they were sent after the others. I'm sure all of the Statues have been destroyed by now."

"But…" Shadow looked at him.

"Yes, that means Kefka probably possesses all of the Magic that remains in the world," Strago said. "And there is no way to transfer it back to its source. After we destroy Kefka, there is no doubt left in my mind now that Magic will die with him."

"And Espers…" Relm trailed off. "Terra…!"

"Urrrr…" Umaro moaned sadly, covering his eyes with one giant hand.

Voices could be heard echoing through the next darkened entryway, but Shadow led them inside without hesitation. They were all shocked to see the other Returners waiting for them, Terra and her group standing on a higher raised path, and Setzer and his group on the other side of her. As Relm, the last person in the group stepped through the doorway, it suddenly slammed shut behind her, and the sound of others doors slamming shut rang throughout the room.

"You guys!" Locke called, and let out a short scream as their path started to shake and rumble, slowly descending down until it was level with the other two. After a loud thump, the rumbling stopped, and a fine dust rose out of the ground from where it had landed. The Returners all gathered together in one group, the same topic all on their minds- The Statues.

"It seems that my assumption was correct," Strago sighed after a few moments of conversation. "The Statues were sent out by Kefka to kill us, and as a result, they are now gone."

"What do we do now?" Sabin asked worriedly. "We've all been led here, at an apparent dead end."

"I think the pillars have something to do with our exit here," Terra said, looking back at the three short pillars in the back of the room. "When I sat on one, a light shone down. If we do all three at once…"

"But where else can we possibly go?" Edgar asked, looking at the glass ceiling above them. "It looks like we've reached the top, and we've been in here for hours, it seems…"

"We HAVE been in here for hours," Sabin said. "It's surely past nightfall by now…"

"It doesn't matter, we have to keep going," Terra said firmly. "We can't turn back. Let's try the pillar idea…maybe the lights will show us a way out of this place." She walked up to her pillar and sat down upon it, the light she spoke of before snapping back on instantly and shining down on her. Shadow took a seat on the far right pillar, and a light shone down on him also. Finally, Setzer took a seat on the far left pillar, and a light shone down on him.

At first, there was dead silence. Then, slowly, the lights above each person tinted a blood red, and a loud clap of thunder erupted. Terra gasped, her body slowly being lifted into the air, followed by Shadow and Setzer.

"I…I can't get down…" Terra gasped, kicking her legs and going up higher. "It's pulling me up…"

"Noooo…Shadow!" Relm cried, dashing out and taking a leap, grasping onto Shadow's leg. To her surprise, she found herself being carried up with him. What followed next was a bizarre chain reaction- the other Returners dashed toward the light to try to pull down those floating in the air, but

ended up getting caught in its spell and lifted up too. Terra looked up, only to see the glass ceiling inches from her face, and let out an ear-piercing scream.

I…I'm going to be crushed…!

A flash of blinding light suddenly burst in her eyes, and seconds later, she felt her boots hit a solid surface with a soft "click". Opening her eyes, she could see a few tall, rocky peaks, set against a black and violet bruised sky. Bursts of pure white lightening exploded every few seconds, and a cold wind ripped through and blew Terra's ponytail into her face. Turning around, she saw the others behind her, gaping at the sight silently.

"Welcome, friends…"

Terra gasped and turned back towards the peaks, her heart nearly stopping.

Floating down in a shimmering rainbow triangle of energy was none other than Kefka. The man looked as if he hadn't aged a day from the last time Terra saw him- His yellow hair was still slicked back and pinned with an abundance of feathers and jewels, his make-up still caked on with perfection, his eyeliner sleek and black, and his robes as flamboyant as ever, layers of bright green, red, yellow, and purple flapping in the wind. His face twisted into a crooked smile when his eyes fell upon Terra's form, giggling happily and clapping his hands together.

"Kefka!" Terra hissed. "So you've shown yourself at last!"

"I should be saying that to you, my dear," Kefka smiled, his laughter ringing out like the sound of broken glass. "But…I knew that you'd make it here, I hardly doubted you for a second…So I've prepared suitable entertainment for you all!"

"Shut up!" Celes snapped, pushing forward, her hair whipping in the wind. "How long are you going to let the destruction continue?" Kefka' smile twisted more.

"General Celes Chere! Oh, I'm sorry…Ex-General Celes…how are you? How did wandering the world looking for your lover boy work out? I guess not very well, if you ended up here! Mwa ha ha ha ha!" Celes' face turned blood-red, and Locke blinked.

"Celes…?"

"Stop it," Terra demanded, clutching her fist. "This is going to end now."

"But the fun has only just started!" Kefka smiled, snapping his fingers. "I have tapped into the ultimate power…observe!" Kefka raised one hand, causing Locke to fly off the ground and levitate in mid-air, upside down. Glaring at Kefka, Locke didn't breathe a word, but he did slip him a silent sign with his right hand as he bobbed up and down in the air.

"Such magnificent power!" Kefka laughed. "You are all nothing but insects to me!" Lifting his other hand, Gau suddenly flew up into the air as well, spinning around in circles and wailing out as Kefka squealed mercilessly. "I will exterminate everyone and everything!" The wind started to pick up harder now, rousing the passed-out Mog and nearly knocking Relm off her feet.

"People will keep rebuilding the things you take from them!" Edgar shouted over the howling of the wind. Kefka stuck up his nose and dropped his hands to his sides, letting Locke and Gau crash into the rocky crags and roll to the ground. He then shook his finger at Edgar menacingly.

"Then I'll destroy those too. Why do people rebuild things they know are going to be destroyed? Why do people cling to life when they know they can't live forever? Think how meaningless each of your lives is!"

Terra shook her head, feeling herself get angrier and angrier with every word that fell from his lips. Oh, she knew that he thought they were meaningless. She knew that Kefka thought she was nothing but a worthless puppet when he abused her powers, robbed her memory, and trained her to be a soldier of the Empire. But now, finally, Terra knew the truth: the truth that had been taught to her, one person at a time, one emotion at a time, one revelation at a time.

"It's not the net result of one's life that is important!" She cried, stepping up closer. "It's the day-to-day concerns, the personal victories, and the celebration of life…and love! It is enough if people are able to experience the joy that each day can bring!" Kefka, pausing for a moment, floated down closer to Terra so that their noses nearly touched. She didn't flinch as his cold eyes bore deep into her body, dragging up to her eyes and piercing them.

"And have you found your "joy" in this nearly dead world of ours?" He asked softly, sending chills up her spine. For a moment, his voice had lost its normal high-pitch and screech. For just one second, Terra thought it sounded…human. Regardless, she would not back down.

"Yes," Terra hissed, and Kefka raised his eyebrows, backing off a little. "I now…I now know what love is."

"And I have learned to celebrate life…and the living," Locke said softly, stepping up to Terra's side, his lip cut with a hard bruise forming on his cheek from falling. Terra smiled at him gratefully, and reached down, squeezing his hand.

"My family lives on inside of me!" Cyan suddenly exclaimed, stepping up to the other side of Terra and glaring up at Kefka.

"And I know what friendship is…and family…" Shadow trailed off, walking up next to Cyan.

"It is my dream to build a kingdom where I can guarantee freedom and dignity," Edgar said, moving up to Locke and pushing back his cape.

Sabin approached Edgar and put his arm around him. "I have come to experience anew the love of my brother!"

Celes reached down in her pocket, clutching to a ragged piece of cloth in secret. "I've met someone who can accept me for who I am."

"I have a special little Granddaughter," Strago smiled, hugging Relm to his side.

"And I have a brave Grandpa who will stand by me through it all."

"This is for my friend's airship…" Setzer grinned, "And her love!"

"These are my friends!" Mog squealed, hugging onto Umaro, who grunted some sort of reply.

"You my friends! I uwaoo all of you!" Gau exclaimed. Gogo smirked and merely raised a hand towards the Returners.

Kefka threw down his hands in disgust and rolled his eyes.

"This is sickening! You all sound like chapters from a self-help booklet! Prepare yourselves…for my next trick…I will make you all…DISAPPEAR!"

"Kefka, stop, you don't know what you're doing!" Terra screamed. But it was far too late. Kefka raised a hand, and suddenly a familiar sharp beam of white light shot out from his palm, disappearing in the blink of an eye. A few moments later, a tremendous crash erupted, and the Returners could see smoke and flames rising in the horizon. Terra suddenly realized with a shudder that the sky above them and their surroundings was the roof of Kefka's tower. The dark, trembling sky and the blackened lands were the sky and lands of their planet. It wasn't some sick magic trick. It was all real.

And Kefka was finishing the job he started with the good ol' Light of Judgment.

More thunder rumbled in the distance, and all of a sudden, sheets of rain began to pour down from the sky. Terra could only watch in horror as Kefka cackled, floating over to a quivering crag that was beginning to rise higher in the air. Terra and Locke looked at each other, nodding, and dashed off towards the other crags that were rumbling and starting to grow.

"I command the greatest power in the universe! You are all helpless before me!" As Kefka rose higher, Terra and Locke clung to their crags, flying up after him with the wind and rain whipping in their faces.

"I will destroy everything…I will create a monument to non-existence!"

"Life will go on!" Terra cried, and Kefka gasped, spinning around to face her. She clung to the peak for dear life with one hand, the other slipping down to her belt. "Life will go on…there will always be people, and dreams!"

Kefka reddened and stuck out his hand, another light beam shooting out and crashing a few moments later on another coastline, more smoke and ash shooting into the air in the far distance. When even that didn't daunt the fire in Terra's gaze, Kefka reddened more and started to throw a hissy fit.

"NO! I WILL HUNT THEM DOWN! DESTROY! DESTROY! DESTROY!" He laughed manically, clutching his stomach from cackling so hard and nearly doubling over. "I mean…come on…what is the fun of all this destruction if no "precious" lives are lost?"

"We will not allow you to harm another living thing," Locke said, his voice grave and dark. As Kefka turned, he reached out and grabbed Locke by the collar of his jacket, lifting him high in the air. As Locke gagged and struggled, he titled his head back and managed to call "Terra! Now!"

"What did you just say, you bumbling idiot?" Kefka hissed, throttling Locke harder. "WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE—AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Kefka immediately dropped Locke back to the ground and screamed at the top of his lungs, swinging around and smacking Terra, who had flew up behind him in Esper form. She cried out and hit the crag behind her, sinking to the ground with a smile on her face.

"It's over…Kefka…"

Kefka continued to writhe around ecstatically, finally managing to reach back…and rip out the bloodied Atma weapon that had been plunged into his shoulder blade. Hissing at Terra, he tossed the blade away and raised his arms, the ground shaking so hard that rock began to tumble down the crags. Heaving for breath, Kefka spread his arms and caused the triangle energy around him to burst, his blinding smile contorted on the side of his face.

"Oh, but it hasn't yet begun! And I'm giving you all a FRONT ROW SEAT!"

At that moment, Terra felt something hard and sharp hit the back of her head- and everything went black.

It was very, very cold out that night. The snow flakes were so fat and thick, they stung your cheeks a little each time they touched your flesh. Terra's eyes suddenly snapped open, blinking and looking around, her bangs matted to her forehead by the cold snow. She couldn't believe she fell asleep! She looked up slowly, to see if the others had noticed. However, right then, they stopped, so immediately she pulled down on a lever, the clunky armor churning and coming to a halt. However, it still hummed and bounced underneath her.

"Hey Wedge, there's the town..." One of the soldiers said, in a bold and deep voice. He looked away from the town to his fellow armored partner. Wedge sneezed and rubbed his nose.

"Hard to believe an Esper has been found intact in there, 1000 years after the War of the Magi..." His voice trailed off, almost as if he were afraid. He looked at Vicks, his partner, and let out an obvious squeal of fear. Wedge had always been the less brave of the two friends/partners, but he was smarter, being the information officer. Vicks smirked.

"Think it's still alive?"

Wedge nodded. "Probably, judging by the urgency of our orders."

The wind picked up right then, the cold piercing right through their armor. Vicks and Wedge cried out, but Terra didn't make a sound, and she was wearing far less protective clothing then them. Vicks could not believe it.

"And this woman, this...sorcerer. Why's she here? I heard she fried 50 of our Magitek Armored soldiers in fewer than 3 minutes." Vicks looked to Wedge who shrugged.

"Not to worry. The Slave Crown on her head robs her of all conscious thought. She'll follow our orders." Wedge stared at the girl as he said this.

Terra blinked, but said nothing. She watched them carefully, and although her mind was trying to put together anything resembling a thought, she was failing. She felt like her mind was a radio broadcast, and that someone was changing the channel every five seconds.

"Haven't I done this be…Ah…These people…Ouch…" She shuddered and closed her eyes tightly, trying harder. "This town…I know this town…AHHH"

Terra screamed out and reached up, holding her temples. The two guards looked back at her, shocked.

"Narshe!" She babbled, shaking her head and squirming in her armor. The two guards then stared at each other.

"How did she know this was Narshe?" Vicks questioned. "No one told her, right?"

"She's not supposed to say a word!"

Terra moaned out and slumped down in her seat, struggling to remember. She saw a tall man, with sandy brown hair and a pretty blue bandana, reaching out for her hand. She saw herself standing in a grand palace, speaking to one of the most handsome men she had seen in her life. She saw herself on a ship at night, looking out at the sea and standing in the shadow of a man dressed all in black. She saw herself standing in a house filled with children, talking to a tall, pale blonde woman.

She then saw a creature of white flesh and fiery red eyes, raising a blue, glowing blade and plunging it into the back of the man in front of her. Terra gasped out, her breath quickening.

"This is me…and these are my memories…" She could feel someone reaching in her armor and un-strapping her, tugging her away. She struggled against the cold hands, crying out and opening her eyes.

NO! THIS ISN'T REAL! THIS HAS ALL ALREADY HAPPENED!

Terra suddenly sat up, her heart pounding and a cold sweat dripping down her forehead. Looking around, she saw that she was in a dark, empty place…with soft, misty clouds floating underneath her body. The others were with her, looking just as confused as she did.

"You guys?" Terra asked, sitting up and slowly climbing to her feet.

"Terra, you finally woke up!" Edgar walked over to her. "It looked like you were having a nightmare, but we couldn't wake you…"

"It's ok, I'm fine now," Terra said, shaking her head. "But…where is Kefka? Better yet…where are we?"

"It seems to be some sort of alternate dimension…" Strago trailed off. "Something Kefka created, no doubt…it is brimming with Magical energy…can you feel it, Terra?"

Terra nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Yes, I can…I think it was the Magic that put me in my trance…"

At first, no one else noticed, but the clouds and mist had begun to raise higher and higher, swirling about and then disappearing up into the darkness. Terra looked up and bit down on her lip, reaching up and gently touching one of the clouds. Surprisingly, it felt solid between her fingers.

"The clouds…" She trailed off. "They're all going up…"

Sabin looked up as well, narrowing his eyes. "I bet Kefka is…"

"Come on," Terra said, grabbing the next cloud as it floated by and climbing on, starting to soar up into the air. "Kefka is up here!"

But something else was waiting for them first.

It was a massive, gray-skinned, thickly-built monster, with hands as big as three feet across, long, shining claws, and a face completely contorted and twisted with muscle. Out of its back were entangled, slimy tentacles, which ran up through a thick burst of clouds above the team and

disappeared from sight. Some of them were a pale red color and so robust, they looked as if they were about to burst. Emerging from its head was a crown of horns, in the center a giant ruby that was chipped, battered, but still shining. The beast opened its fang-ridden mouth and let out a tremendous roar, so loud that it made the clouds beneath the Returners quiver. Before it had a chance to attack, Celes took a wild swing with the Ragnarok and sliced off one its horns. The creature countered by slashing at her with a clawed, gnarled hand. Taking another hard swing, Celes made short work of that by severing it off.

Terra was a little surprised. If Kefka had sent this after them, he had made a poor choice. The beast seemed to be attached to something, if not the slithering tentacles, and could only move by swinging its arms or head. But what happened next was so fast; it nearly made her head spin.

Locke and Shadow were throwing stars and knives from afar, and some of the others had yet to still float up to the battlefield. Just as Locke launched a knife into the beasts' mouth, its right arm shot out, stretching further than anyone could have possibly imagined. It seemed to be a reaction getting a knife in his throat, but that reaction turned into a fatal attack. As his arm shot out, it struck Locke, Cyan, and Gau off their clouds. Gau fell off, screaming out and just barely missing Relm's outstretched hand. Cyan tumbled after him, but got a nasty blow from one of the wild stray tentacles, cutting his cries short but knocking him out. Terra could only stare after them, her eyes wide and her heart beating a million miles a minute. Locke gasped out for breath and managed to pull himself back onto his cloud, panting out and clinging for dear life.

No…No…!

Cyan and Gau disappeared completely from their sight, being swallowed by the darkness. At the same time, the monster had started to gag and cough out blood and bile, Locke's knife lodging deeper in its throat. A few moments later, its tentacles stopped writhing and its head drooped, the body motionless.

"GAU! CYAN!" Edgar called out. Everyone was now silent as they strained their ears to hear a reply.

However, there was nothing, and their clouds were beginning to break through a chilling layer of mist. There was no turning back. Terra lowered her head and closed her eyes. It was unbelievable. She took a slow breath, opened her eyes again, and stared up at the sky above…which had actually seemed to turn a shade lighter. However, she could see something tall and looming in the distance. Clutching to the cloud, she silently urged it to go faster. As they came closer, Terra took in a deep breath, feeling her heart drop into her stomach.

Oh Gods…Not something else…

The "something tall" turned out to be a five feet thick column of twisting, writhing bodies, all fused together in awkward positions. It wasn't just human bodies either- man of them appeared to be Espers, with horns, extra limbs, claws, and crippled wings. As their clouds started to float by the

column, the creatures started to lash out and grab at the Returners, and others started to launch all sorts of different spells.

"Look out!" Terra cried, struggling to grab her cloud and make it dodge out of the way. However, whatever they were riding on had no prerogative when it came to keeping it's passengers safe, and haphazardly floated wherever it pleased, starting to circle around the column.

"Just fight back!" Shadow grunted. "There is no way we're going to survive otherwise."

"Espers!" Sabin yelled. "Use Espers!"

In a burst of light, over a dozen Espers erupted onto the battlefield and charged the column of enemies. Shiva, Ifrit, Ramuh, Maduin, Alexander…defying gravity itself, they launched all of their most intense elemental blows, while defensive Espers Carbuncle, Fenrir, and Golem protected their party with special barrier spells. At first, things seemed to be going the Returners' way: the Espers weren't letting up, the columns' arms, legs, and and claws were slowing down, and Terra found herself steadily climbing higher and higher away. But then, suddenly, there was a grand explosion, and the sound of screams.

One of the Espers trapped in the column had released a massive Thundaga spell that struck down at all the lower clouds. Terra looked down just in time to witness the horror before her eyes: Gogo, Umaro, and Relm were falling fast, plunging into the darkness below as their clouds broke away in small silver puffs before fading away.

"FLOAT!" Terra screamed, thrusting out her hand and nearly falling backwards. As a shooting star of golden light shot down to try to catch up to the fallen, another creature within the column growled and cast Wall, causing the spell to bounce backwards and fly off into space. Terra gasped out and tried to jerk her cloud to make it turn around, but it steadily rose up without regard to what she wanted. Her hand still outstretched, Terra cast another spell, but over and over again, they bounced back. Another explosion sounded, this time, coming from the Returners, and the entire sky lit up an electric green.

Celes had cast an Ultima spell, which had exploded upon the column like a miniature nuclear bomb. Bursts of glittering stars and debris flew out everywhere, and the creatures started to whimper and twitch, falling over dead as the column began to turn gray and hard, petrifaction taking over. Soon, the column stopped completely dead, and the Returners cut through a thin veiling of mist and stars.

Terra felt like her nerves were already on edge. She could hear Strago in the background, calling out for Relm, the others calling for Gogo and Mog crying out for Umaro. Terra moaned out and turned back around, lowering her head and closing her eyes.

First Cyan and Gau…and now Gogo, Umaro, and Relm…Why is this happening! We're fighting together…we shouldn't be able to just be taken away from each other just like that…It's not supposed to work like that…

She couldn't bear to think about what could have possibly happened to them. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to anyway. Nearly one minute later, a soft growl sounded, and the Returners were greeted with another "heavenly" visitor. Perched upon a throne of twisted stone, metal, and tentacles was an Esper that greatly resembled Maduin, his skin a light blue and his long, gold hair tied back in a rich ponytail. His chest was an array of muscles and bulging veins, and his lower half was covered with a rich royal blue cloak that gently flapped in the non-existent wind. On each of his sides was a blazing torch, and high above the throne floated a haunting stone bust of a woman, her eyes closed and her long hair frozen forever frozen over her shoulders. Terra thought it was one of the creepiest things she had seen in all their adventures. The Esper opened his eyes, which had been closed as if in a peaceful sleep, and gave the Returners a slick smile.

"So, you've made it this far…I commend you."

"Who are you?" Locke asked, and he chuckled.

"Why, I'm an Esper, of course…can't say I have a name yet though…I am what you humans would call a newborn."

"What?" Edgar blinked. "A new Esper?"

"Freshly created by my Master, who has been experimenting as of late…" He laughed. "Since the Statues aren't around anymore, somebody has to do it…"

"Kefka is creating his own Espers!" Terra cried. "No…it's just like The War of the Magi…"

"Exactly, my dear!" The Esper laughed. The stone bust above him continued to hover menacingly. "But as much as I would like to chat with you all, I have been waiting here for a reason…Kefka doesn't want to be disturbed while he builds his new Esper army."

"You can't stop us!" Sabin protested. "Kefka won't win."

"Well, you're right; I probably can't, not with these numbers…" The Esper smirked and snapped his fingers. "Let's make these odds more even."

The stone bust above him suddenly quivered, the eyes sliding open and glowing an eerie sharp blue. Her mouth opened, and a piercing noise filled the room, causing the Returners to all cry out and cover their ears. Gold and blue sparks shot out from her eyes, encircling some of the party members and yielding disastrous results.

Mog and Strago were turned into Kappas, the little green Imps of legend. They flapped their big blue beaks making meaningless cries, and flapped their green arms, frightened. Before Terra or Celes could cast a counter-spell, they both lost their balance off their clouds and tumbled off, squealing out and flapping their arms down through the misty clouds below.

Setzer and Sabin were enraptured by Freeze spells- turned into statues of ice that immediately tipped over off of their clouds and knocked from the battle. Everyone else was blasted by a weakening spell, and Terra could feel her strength draining out from her as if she were a leaking balloon. Feeling around in her pockets, she fumbled for an Esper as their enemy cackled, reaching up and popping his knuckles.

"Mmm…now, I think that makes this fight a little fairer…What spell shall I use to finish you all off…? Since I am more merciful than my master, I will try to think of something quick and painless…" The eyes on the stone bust began to glow again, and Terra knew they were running out of time. Pulling out an Esper, Terra lifted it up to the miniscule light she had and realized it was Crusader, the Esper sealed by the Dragons. It was supposed to be the most powerful Esper ever created…she decided there was no more appropriate time to use it than now. Holding it up over her head, she closed her eyes and cried out:

"Crusader! Please! Heed my call!"

The background and mist surrounding the Returners suddenly turned a deep, menacing crimson, and began to ripple, as if being viewed from afar in a tremendous heat wave. First, bursting from a cloud of black smoke above the Returners was a golden-armored waif of a creature, with violet flesh that was revealed only under its golden helmet and smoke-like wings fluttering behind it. It seemed to be balancing on a gold and ruby flying carpet, and in its raised right hand was a sleek, thin blade.

Appearing right in front of Terra was a massive version of the gold waif, a huge armored hulk of a beast with a pulsating violet globe on its chest and its helmet pulled all the way over its head lashed out, sharp, gleaming claws slicing through the empty air as it growled deeply. Finally, a third creature appeared…a wiry, dirt-orange reptile with a long, twitching tail and black samurai armor. In both twisted claws it held double-bladed swords, swinging them so fast that they were a blur to the naked eye. Without warning, the three suddenly began to screech, growl, and hiss at each other, diving in different directions with weapons, claws, and magic flying.

However, Terra began to realize that something was terribly wrong with this Esper, or rather, these three Espers. Instead of directly attacking the enemy, they were attacking each other as well…and when Terra tried to call them back, they ignored her. Deciding to take advantage of the enemy Esper being distracted by Crusader, Celes rode in on her cloud and thrust her sword towards him. What she didn't see was the double-bladed sword coming at her back, and by the time Locke screamed her name, it was too late. The blade plunged through Celes' back, causing her to stop absolutely still, drop the Ragnarok, and let out a little surprised choking noise before plunging over the edge of her cloud and disappearing. The now stained-red cloud began to break apart into little clouds and then mist, floating away. Terra's scream was stuck in her throat, and Locke could only stare, which was a mistake. One of Crusader's Espers shot out a random Fira spell, striking Locke in the chest and knocking him backwards. Edgar and Shadow tried to race over to protect Terra, but were both caught in the crossfire, getting attacked by spells and swiped away in one easy blow by

the biggest beast. Terra whimpered and started to bang on the back of the biggest Esper's armor, shaking her head and starting to get hysterical. Her breath came out so fast; she thought her heart was going to burst.

"Stop it, stop it! YOU'RE KILLING MY FRIENDS!"

However, Crusader wasn't done yet, and the enemy Esper made the same mistake as the others, getting in the way. Over and over again he was struck by blows, weapons, and magic, one of the double-bladed swords slicing through the stone bust and crumbling it into hundreds of pieces. The smallest Esper dove in, and in an attempt to slay the reptile, accidentally stabbed the enemy Esper right through the abdomen and shrieked at the mistake. The enemy, on the other hand, let out a horrible cry and slumped over on its throne, bleeding to death. Seeing that they had indeed killed the thing they were called upon to attack, the Crusader Espers decided to give things up for now, and in a flash of light, disappeared. The background began to fade back to a normal color, and Terra felt her cloud rising in the air again. Only, this time…she was alone.

My friends… Terra closed her eyes, shaking her head and shivering. How am I supposed to survive alone…? Where are you?

As the lone cloud rose, Terra could feel something warm and gentle on her back, almost like…light. Looking up, she could see the mist above her was gently illuminated, although by what, she did not know. Her face was smudged with blood and dirt, her clothes torn, her bangles cracked, and one of her earrings was missing. Even her ruby pendant felt heavy on her neck. Blowing away the loose strands that had fallen from her ponytail; Terra closed her eyes and prayed that maybe the warm glow above would bring her some sort of mercy. She felt her cloud break through the warm mist, but then suddenly disappear from beneath her. Her knees hit something solid, and soft, and something bright was stinging her closed eyelids.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, and was shocked to find herself in a beautiful, sunlit area, with puffy clouds everywhere and the golden sun itself risen high in the sky, beams of light pouring everywhere. Below her were more clouds, but they were soft and yet solid enough to walk on. Gently taking a few steps forward, Terra looked around and did the first thing that came to her mind- call out for her friends.

"Locke…? Edgar?" She walked more, and called out a little louder. "Sabin?" She paused, and bit down on her lip. "Where am I?"

"Life…Dreams…Hope…Where did they come from?"

Terra shuddered, feeling as if a chill had just run through her body. Turning around, she saw that no one was there, but she was positive that she had heard someone speak.

"…Where are they headed?"

The sound of something breaking against the wind rang out, and Terra saw a shadow pass over her body. Turning to her left, she saw a figure with bulging muscles, violet flesh, and three angel wings flutter down from the sky, its gaze intently on her. A crimson, silk toga was wrapped around its body, and it had blonde, shining hair similar to the Esper Terra had just fought, along with…a gathering of prominent feather plumes.

"These things…I am going to destroy!"

"Kefka!" Terra cried, taking a step back. "You…You've…"

"I'm just like you now Terra…an Esper…" Kefka trailed off. His voice was calm, not at all shrill like it was normally. Calm, bordering on…serene, and happy. "Will you join me now? We are equals, no…we are blood! Your friends have abandoned you, and left you for dead…"

"They did not leave me, you MUDERED THEM!" Terra screamed. "But as long as I am alive, and still standing, I will defeat you!"

"Go ahead…you have no weapons, and you have no strength…" Kefka shook his head, laughing softly and fluttering his wings. "I guess I was wrong before…we are hardly equals. You are nothing but a half Esper, and a half Human…which makes you a waste of existence."

"KEFKA!" Terra became enraged, and without realizing what she was doing, charged him. As she ran, she began to mutter under her breath, casting an Ultima spell. However, before she could finish her spell, Kefka merely lashed out and smacked her across the face, sending her flying backwards and hitting the clouds. Her cheek throbbing, Terra pulled herself up to her feet and charged again, getting smacked on her other cheek and being sent flying again. Panting out, she pulled herself up to her knees and started to chant again, but Kefka interfered with a Meteor spell.

Hot, flaming balls of rock began to soar down from the heavens above, striking Terra and causing her to scream out and curl up, protecting her head. Every rock that struck against her body sent her through searing, burning pain, the fire instantly eating through her clothes and burning her naked flesh. Just when she thought she couldn't take a second more, a final meteor smashed just inches away from her head, and Kefka came over to her, reaching down and grabbing her by the ponytail. He yanked hard so that she was forced to look right at him, a thin trail of blood trickling down her cheek from where he had first slapped her. Without a word, he smashed her down into the clouds, which had turned as hard as pavement. He smashed her face in over and over again, and Terra barely managed to reach up to cover her nose, hearing the bones in her fingers snap which each new impact. Finally, Kefka grew tired of his game and lifted her up again, this time completely off the ground, and gave her a hard toss. Terra bounced off the ground before rolling to a stop, her body completely still and her eyes closed. Kefka began to laugh manically, the sound coming from deep within his abdomen when he realized what he had just done. At last, after all this time consisting of little more than foolish mind games, and annoying interruptions, Kefka had defeated the Returners. Each and every single one of them was now nothing more than a crumpled mess of bones and

bruised flesh. Cackling louder, Kefka shook his head and gazed up at the shining sun. It was…so beautiful.

Ahhh…it hurts so much… Terra closed her eyes tighter, feeling her body throb and ache in places she didn't even know she had. So this is what it feels like to die… Her left hand was a mess of blood and broken fingers, although the pain there had started to get so bad that it was actually going numb. She could still feel the burning flesh on her back and legs sizzling, and her head felt so heavy, she couldn't even think about lifting it a centimeter. She could hear Kefka's laughter booming in the background, filling up her senses, suffocating, and drowning her. Her pulse starting to slow, Terra let out a tiny whimper and felt salty, burning tears gather underneath her closed lids. Even though her eyes were closed, she could see Locke and the others, standing right there in front of her, smiling and extending their hands. Terra wanted to reach out so badly and grasp those strong, calloused fingers, and be held and embraced by a warm body. Despite all the glaring sunlight around her, she was starting to feel cold.

I'm sorry you guys…

I'm sorry children…

I'm sorry Mother…Father…

…I've failed you.

Terra flinched as something cool and slick rolled against her right hand. As she gently, delicately ran her fingers over it, her heart started to beat a little faster, and her face felt hot with realization. Slowly, painfully opening her eyes, Terra looked over and saw that she was grasping the hilt of Atma Weapon.

But…how? Terra blinked and gripped it tighter, although barely a sliver of blue blade appeared. I thought Kefka got rid of this while we were in the tower… Kefka's voice began to fade away, and Terra closed her eyes again, moaning. But it doesn't matter…I don't have an iota of strength to wield it...

"Terra!"

Terra opened her eyes once more, looking up and gasping out. Standing before her was a woman with long, beautiful blonde hair swept up into a ponytail, wearing a soft white blouse and long, elegant red skirt. Of course, Terra instantly knew who she was.

"Momma!"

"My Terra…" Madonna smiled, kneeling down and gently stroking back Terra's blood-matted hair. "Look at how you've grown…and look at how beautiful your father's pendant looks on you…" She

reached down and gently touched it, sending a warm shudder through Terra's body. "Are you ok, dear?"

"I think I'm dying Momma…And if Kefka hears me…he'll come back over and make sure I am finished off for good…"

"You have to fight Terra…your friends are waiting for you."

"My friends…" Terra felt her eyes water more. "My friends are…"

"Shhh…" Madonna cooed softly, stroking her hair more. "You have to fight. You have to remember who you are."

"Who I am…?" Terra blinked and looked up at her. "I know who I am…I'm the daughter of a human and an Esper…and an ex-weapon of the Empire…"

"You have to remember," Madonna repeated, standing up and starting to back away. "Think back Terra, and draw your strength from your friends." In a flash, Madonna disappeared, and Terra whimpered, clutching Atma tighter.

"Momma!"

Kefka's ears perked up and he whipped around, narrowing his eyes. Was that little rat not dead? He saw something glimmering by Terra's right hand, let out a soft growl, and started to approach her.

Terra bit down on her lip and racked her brain, trying to possibly remember what her mother was telling her to remember. At the same time, she could hear Kefka approaching, and she realized with a sunken heart that she had been found out. When she closed her eyes, she could see her friends again, smiling and calling out her name. Others began to enter the picture…the children of Mobliz…Arvis…Banon…all calling her name and urging her to come to them. As Terra's gaze drifted over each of their faces, her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she came to a realization.

Kefka smirked as he saw Terra struggle to sit up, grasping whatever she had in her hand close to her chest. He wondered how he was going to kill that little witch once and for all, letting out a whistle as he got lost in all the spell options that ran through his head. He didn't see Terra climbing to her feet, and he most certainly didn't notice that the blade of Atma had become blazing blue and long. Terra closed her eyes and transformed into her Esper self, her ruby eyes blazing as she clutched the sword and approached Kefka with the same pace that he was approaching her. When Kefka finally focused in and saw her, he let out a little gasp, and Terra made her move. Launching off the clouds and flying towards him at a blinding speed, Terra thrust Atma directly into Kefka's chest and heart, glaring at him as he could only stare at her, a little choking noise escaping his lips. As the blood started to trickle down the wound in his chest, Terra opened her mouth, and Kefka was shocked to hear that it wasn't just her voice that was coming out- but the voice of all fourteen of the Returners…combined.

"Perhaps you have heard this story," Terra began, her eyes narrowing more as she gently gave Atma a little twist. "Once, when people were pure and innocent, there was a box they were told never to open. But one man went and opened it anyway. He unleashed all the evils of the world: envy... greed... pride... violence... control... All that was left in the box was a single ray of light: Hope." Kefka let out a strangled gasp as Terra continued to push in Atma, reaching up with her now healed left hand and grabbing onto Kefka's hair, forcefully pulling his head back. As he gagged and struggled to form words, blood dripping down the corner of his mouth, Terra reeled back and pulled Atma out of him, the blood pouring from the open wound as she dropped the sword to the ground and kneed Kefka in the stomach. Stumbling backwards, he fell flat on his back, and Terra stepped over him, her voice still contorted.

"We are that last ray of light, the world's only hope." Her eyes flashed, and then suddenly, her voice was back to normal again. Kefka croaked out and rolled his eyes back, reaching up towards the heavens and whispering.

"The end comes…beyond chaos…"

Slowly, it began.

First, Kefka's wings began to break away and fade into little grains of stone, the petrifaction traveling up his back and shoulder blades to his head, and then sweeping down throughout the rest of his body. Some stone pieces fell through the clouds, and the others burst into colorful sparks and disappeared into thin air, leaving tiny trails of smoke. All that remained was the beautiful pink feather Kefka had worn in his hair. Terra reached down to touch it, but gasped as it suddenly combusted into flames, and burned away into a pile of ash. Suddenly feeling weak and overwhelmed, Terra fell to her knees, and the clouds underneath her gave away. Closing her eyes, she felt her body falling, falling, falling…but the whole way down, she was smiling.

Scene…

"Terra! Wake up, please!"

"We can't wait for her! Someone is just going to have to carry her body!"

"Ugh…" Terra opened her eyes, flinching out in pain as she looked around. She was back in Kefka's tower, somewhere deep within, apparently, since there was no sight of the world outside. She heard footsteps, and saw Setzer running up a flight of stairs, waving his arms.

"It's breaking up! We HAVE to get to the airship NOW!"

"Setzer…!" Terra cried out, suddenly sitting up and forgetting all about her aches. As she looked around further, she realized that everyone was there, safe and sound, and staring at her. Feeling her

eyes water, Terra jumped to her feet and started to run towards the group. "Everyone! You're ALIVE!" She felt as if her heart were about to burst with joy. "But how…"

"Yes, we're fine!" Locke exclaimed. "But there is no time to explain right now! The airship is just ahead! You defeating Kefka started a chain reaction!"

"Come on, everybody!" A perfectly healthy Celes barked. "We're gonna have to work together!" Terra nodded, and still morphed in her Esper form, began to fly forwards. However, she suddenly collapsed and hit the floor, crying out as three Magicite shards flew from within her, bursting into glittering dust in the air and disappearing. Magicite shards also flew from the other's pockets and pendants, disappearing and raining glitter over the Returners. Celes ran over to Terra, holding her up. "Terra, what's wrong?"

"The Magicite…" Terra gasped. "Magic is disappearing from this world…"

"The Espers…they no longer exist…" Edgar trailed off.

"You mean Terra too?" Celes cried. Terra moaned and stood up, shaking her head and then starting to float.

"Come with me," Terra smiled some, her voice calm. "I can lead you all out with my last ounce of strength."

As the Returners began to make their way out of Kefka's collapsing tower, it soon became obvious that Celes was right, and that teamwork was going to be necessary on the way out just as it was on the way in. They broke off into separate groups only when they absolutely had to, but their paths always ended up crossing again so that they were reunited, if only for a short time.

….

"Oh no, I'm stuck!" Edgar cried. The moving staircase the party needed to use to get down the jagged crags had suddenly stopped. Looking back, Edgar gestured towards Cyan, the only other person with him. "Cyan, you think you can handle that switch?"

"Machines…" Cyan moaned, climbing back up and feeling around for the switch. "I HATE MACHINES!" He started to bang his fists on the walls, jumping up and down. Finally, he hit the switch, and the staircase started moving again, causing Cyan to beam.

"Well…I guess you just have to show technology who's boss!"

….

"Which door do we go through?" Celes gasped, looking between a left and a right door. Setzer looked at her and then winked, pulling out a coin and flipping it in the air. The coin landed closer to

the left door, and he started to lead the group towards it. Suddenly he paused, pushed the others towards the right door, and let out an excited yell as the left door suddenly exploded outwards, metal and bolts flying everywhere. Celes shook her head, and Setzer laughed, giving a shrug.

"Sometimes in life, you just have to FEEL your way through a situation, you know?" Celes ignored him and pulled the others that were with them through the right doorway. Setzer laughed a little more and then sighed, smiling as he started to walk through himself, leaving his coin behind. "Daryl…I'm starting to sound just like you."

….

Edgar and Sabin, now together with Relm, Strago, and Mog, had come to a locked door. As Edgar began to fiddle with the lock, a beam suddenly came crashing down from above. Diving in with plenty of time to spare, Sabin easily caught hold of the beam and laughed, tossing it in another direction. Edgar chuckled, hardly ever noticing his brother's enigmatic bouts of strength anymore, and continued working on the lock uninterrupted. Sabin looked over at his brother, taking a deep breath.

"Big Brother…Listen. I didn't abandon the kingdom. I knew you would be the better King. I trained hard knowing I might have to help you one day, and now I know why I have these crazy muscles!" Edgar finally undid the latch, knocking the lock off and turning back to his brother, smiling some.

"Sabin…I know you didn't abandon us. You know, the whole time you were away…I knew that somehow, you were still looking out for me."

"Coming through, kupo!" Mog squealed, pushing between the brothers and through the doorway, effectively ruining the moment. The Figaro brothers shared a laugh, and then ran through after Mog, Relm and Strago right on their heels. In the next room, there was a set of stairs and a platform that both led to the other side of the room. Mog dashed across the platform since he was so small, while the others took the stairs. Suddenly, the platform collapsed beneath Mog, and he cried out, grabbing onto the edge and kicking his tiny limbs.

"Someone! HELP!" Edgar looked around and got an idea, climbing up to the top of a crane and plopping in the driver's seat. Pulling on a lever, the crane started to hum and came to life, and Edgar lowered it until he came to Mog's body. Gently plucking Mog as if he were a prize in a UFO catcher machine, Edgar laughed as he pulled Mog all the way over to his side, and deposited him on the floor.

"The hair kupo, you didn't watch the hair!" Mog cried, and Relm stared at him.

"You were about to fall to your death, and yet you are screaming about your hair?"

….

Umaro, Gogo, Locke, and Celes were racing through a series of corridors, when they suddenly came to a dead-end. Celes reached out and tried to find a latch, but realized that the latch that had been there had rusted off and was no where to be found. Umaro grinned and did a little pose, letting out a mighty roar before ramming head-first into the dead end, causing the "hidden" doorway to burst open with ease.

"Thanks, Umaro!" Celes smiled, and leaned in, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Umaro grinned and started jumping up and down, banging on his chest and almost forgetting to follow the others as they ran through to the next room. It was two floors, and at the top and bottom corners were switches. Celes went up and switched one on, but nothing happened.

"I think we have to do it simultaneously," Gogo suggested. "I'll mimic you Celes."

In a flash, Celes and Gogo both ran up the steps at the same time, pressed their switches together, and then bolted back downstairs to turn on the bottom switches. It activated a platform that stretched out from Celes' side over a pit to their exit, and as Celes ran over the platform to get to the door, Gogo forgot to stop miming her and promptly fell into the pit. Celes gasped out and bent over, laughing a little as she reached down for Gogo's hand.

….

"I am not climbing all the way down this," Relm sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She and Gau had ended up at the top of a very tall, rocky slope, and they knew they needed to be on the path below it.

"Mmm…Gau find shortcut…" Gau scratched his head, sniffed around, and found a giant, flat rock. Grabbing Relm by the hand, he pulled her onto the rock with him and let out an excited cheer as they slid down the mountain, Relm screaming and grabbing on tight to him the entire way. As soon as they had slid onto the path, Relm jumped off, screaming and cursing, and Gau dusted off his pants.

"Gau find shortcut!"

….

"We're almost there!" Terra said, elegantly soaring across a long, narrow platform. "Right Setzer?"

"Yes, the airship is right up ahead." Setzer said, crossing the platform after her by foot. Next Edgar crossed, and then Locke, and then finally Celes. However, as she was crossing, she felt something slip off her wrist, and looked down to see that she had dropped Locke's bandana.

"Come on, this floor is about to break apart!" Locke called back at her.

"Shit," Celes muttered, and turned around, quickly bending down to grab it. The platform gave a violent shudder, and just as she grasped it, it collapsed from underneath her. Crying out, Celes grabbed onto the ledges, closing her eyes and still clutching tightly to the bandana. Locke gasped out and dashed back across, bending down and grasping Celes' hands in his own.

"Locke!" Celes cried, and Locke moaned, starting to pull her up.

"I will not…let you go. I promise…"

"Locke…" Celes closed her eyes, feeling her face get hot. After he had pulled her up, he immediately dragged her to safety, just as the rest of the platforms collapsed and crashed far, far below. Clutching Celes to his chest longer than he intended, Locke leaned his head on hers and whispered.

"You almost ate it trying to pick up that silly trinket…"

"It wasn't…silly," Celes said softly, pulling away and tying the bandana back onto her wrist. As soon as Locke saw what it actually was, he quickly closed his mouth, his face and ears turning bright red. As Celes looked back up at him, he quickly grabbed her hand, turned around, and pulled her away so they could continue to follow the others.

The next room was reminiscent of the tubes in the Magitek Factory. Ironically, more Magicite suddenly exploded at this point, and while it self-destructed, another piece rose out from within Terra's body. She stopped flying for a moment, gazing up at it and sniffling.

"Father…?"

"Terra…" Maduin began, his voice deep with sadness. "We must part now…We Espers will disappear from this world…forever."

"Father…" Terra bit down on her lower lip. "Then that means I will be seeing you soon…"

"Terra, please listen to me carefully," Maduin said. "You are still but a young woman…and now you will have a future that is solely yours, and not controlled by anyone. It is my belief that if the human part of you is very strongly attached to something or someone…you will probably be able to continue on in this world as a human being…"

"What…?" Terra gasped out, feeling her heart pound faster. "Father…!"

But Maduin had expended his energies…the Magicite burst a few seconds later, raining glitter and crystal upon Terra's head. She stared up at the empty space where it had been for a few moments, contemplating what Maduin had told her. However, a hard quake suddenly ripped through the lab, causing more of the tube to shatter and collapse around them, waking her from her trance.

"Come on Terra!" Celes cried, tugging on her hand. "We have to keep going!"

"Right…Sorry…" Terra trailed off, and gestured for the others to continue following her.

It is my belief that if the human part of you is very strongly attached to something or someone…you will probably be able to continue on in this world as a human being…

….

Relm, Strago, and Shadow were crossing more rocky paths, Shadow running ahead to make sure there were no dangers, and Relm and Strago taking conveyer belts because it helped them go faster with less extenuating effort. However, Strago was going a little too fast, and accidentally ran into Relm, causing her to tumble over.

"Grandpa! Stop goofing around!"

"Sorry, dear…" Strago whimpered, and Relm glared at him.

"If I hear one peep out of you, I'm gonna…I'm gonna draw your portrait!" She pulled out her magical paintbrush, and Strago gasped, shaking his head.

"No, please, anything but that!" Relm smiled a little and put it away.

"Well…I would really like to do your portrait sometime…on canvas, of course." Strago smiled, feeling as if his heart had just melted. But the sound of crashes and explosions brought him back to reality, and he shook his head and gave Relm a gentle smack on her hat.

"How can you think of painting at a time like this?"

"Relm!" Shadow suddenly barked, causing Relm to jump and look over. Near the end of the conveyer belt, Shadow was waiting. She jogged up to him and hopped off the belt.

"What?"

"I want you to go ahead, it's safe," Shadow said, gently pushing Relm out of the way.

"Oh, ok…" Relm blinked, shrugging and passing through the doorway. Strago jumped down and hit Shadow with his staff.

"Damnit, what did you do that for?" Shadow snapped, and Strago glared at him.

"You just sent Relm out there alone!"

"I told you, it's safe," Shadow snapped, and put his hands on his hips. "Now, cast the memory spell."

"W-W-What!" Strago exclaimed. "I didn't agree to do it!"

"I need you to do this," Shadow said, his tone softening just a little. "I…I need this, really bad. I need time alone to repent…besides, the spell is reversible if you want it to be, right? No harm done?" Strago shook his head.

"You make it sound simpler than it really is…manipulating the memories of so many people just for your selfish needs…manipulating Relm's memory…it's not right." Strago glared up at him. "Are you truly willing to give up everyone in this world who cares for you?"

"It's a necessary sacrifice," Shadow sighed, looking away. "Please…I don't know what I can say to make you understand…that this will be the least painful for all…not just me. I…I'm not being selfish like you think I am." Strago stared at him for a few moments, while the trembling of the walls and ground surrounding them gradually worsened. Something in Shadow's eyes flickered right then, something that shot to Strago's heart and made him realize Shadow might have been actually telling the truth. Before he could change his mind, Strago spat and pointed away from him.

"Go…stand over there."

Shadow stood to where Strago was pointing, and Strago tried his best not to look at him, silently chanting an ancient Blue Magic spell that had been passed down in his family for generations, his eyes closed tight as he made various motions with his left hand.

"Let loose the bonds of burden,

Close your heart to mind of thee,

Allow, by thy hand forevermore,

The cessation of Memory."

Strago opened his eyes, and looked up at Shadow.

"That's all there is to it. But are you going to find your own way out, or come out with us?"

"I'll find my own way out," Shadow grunted, and gave Strago a wave. "Thanks, Old Man…I won't forget this."

"Yes…and neither will I," Strago said a little coolly, and started to go after Relm. Shadow sighed softly, feeling the tremors get worse, and heard a familiar barking.

"Interceptor!" Shadow blinked, opening his arms as his puppy ran to him and jumped up, licking Shadow's mask and yipping happily.

"I…" Shadow gave the dog a quick hug, closing his eyes and then quickly setting him down. "Get out of here Interceptor…" Interceptor tilted his head and barked again, jumping back into Shadow's arms. Shadow moaned painfully and hugged the dog close, kissing the top of his forehead and trying to ignore the stinging behind his eyes. "Stay well…and please…protect her." With that, he gently pushed Interceptor away; reaching down in his belt and grabbing a small bone. He tossed it in the doorway Strago and Relm had entered, and Interceptor cheerfully ran after it, yipping all the way.

Shadow looked away and felt the tremors getting really bad now- almost knocking him off his feet. Taking a short walk over to a part of the path below a shaking tower on the ledge above, Shadow sat down. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the rocks above him crumbling and rolling down the slope, knowing the tower would cascade down at any moment.

"Baram…I'm going to stop running. I'm going to start all over again…Please wait for me!"

….

As Strago and Relm continued to run ahead, they could spot the others and the airship coming into view. A loud barking noise erupted, and Relm turned around, gasping in surprise when she saw Interceptor bounding up to them.

"Interceptor!" Relm exclaimed, pulling the puppy up into her arms. "Goodness, were you hanging out in here the entire time!"

"Relm, please, we must hurry," Strago sighed. "Please carry Interceptor so that we do not lose him."

"Yes Grandpa," Relm replied, being obedient for once. She quickly looked back, and paused, causing Strago to turn back around and throw his hands up in the air.

"What are you waiting for, a monster to come and force us aboard the ship?"

"No…I…" Relm blinked, looking down for a moment and clutching Interceptor close to her chest. "It's weird, for a minute, I thought that someone else was with us. But then I remembered it was just you and me." Strago's face softened a little, and he walked up to her, pushing back some of her curls. Relm suddenly made a face up at him and jerked away.

"Ew, don't get all sentimental now…"

"Right…sorry dear," Strago smiled some, and Relm bolted ahead, screaming out at the others who were already at the airship.

….

"Come with me!"

Terra had soared over the deck of the airship, watching and silently counting to herself as the others piled on.

Me, Locke, Edgar, Sabin, Celes, Relm, Strago, Gogo, Umaro, Mog, Gau, Cyan, Setzer…All thirteen of us are here…Good.

"Come on baby, you gotta start up for me…" Setzer moaned, crossing his fingers and attempting to start the engine. The Falcon sputtered but then slowly started to purr, revving up higher and higher until the engines kicked on full-blast, everyone giving a cheer. As the ship started to move up towards the direction Terra was pointing, another piece of Magicite they had between them raised up into the sky, and vanished.

"That was the last piece!" Edgar cried, and Celes called out to Terra.

"Are you ok!"

"Fine…" Terra coughed some, holding herself. "I'm fine…"

"Hold on to your panties folks!" Setzer called, pulling back on the steering wheel hard and following Terra's lead out of the same hole The Falcon had created when it crashed into the tower. Just as they pulled out, Setzer turned to see the entire tower start to collapse in on itself, first the roof caving in, and the rest following through like a stack of dominos. A huge cloud of dust and smoke erupted as it all collapsed to the ground, blowing up over the deck of The Falcon and creating a curtain of dust around the Returners. Yet, even through all the dust, Celes was watching Terra, and Terra was coughing and clutching her body, sinking lower and lower.

"Terra, your power is fading!" Celes screamed. "Get on the ship!"

"Celes…I can't hear…you…" Terra moaned softly, a loud ringing in her ears. Closing her eyes, she felt that familiar feeling from just after she defeated Kefka…the feeling of falling…only this time, the wind was a bit stronger against her body.

I have to hold on…just a little longer…I just remembered…Katarin should be having her baby soon…Duane will be so proud…

Celes gasped out as Terra plummeted past the airship, and ran up to Setzer, shouting directions. The Falcon took a sharp dive, and the rest of the Returners clung to the edges of the airship, amazed at what was already occurring before their eyes.

All of the brown and yellow that had once made up their world's landscape was becoming green again. With every lap of waves upon the beach shores, the water was becoming clearer and bluer again. The sky had completely cleared away the storm clouds that had haunted it before- it was now a dazzling sharp blue, and the sun was raising high in the sky…dawn had just broken a few hours ago. A flock of white doves suddenly burst by, some of their soft feathers gently drifting onto the deck of The Falcon. Setzer suddenly jerked the airship into a thick cloud, and the air became foggy

and damp for a few moments. After pulling up out of it, Locke pulled himself to his feet and looked around.

"Where is Terra?"

Celes started to run around the deck frantically, checking behind everybody and everything. Just as she was about to freak out, she saw Terra, curled up at the very front of the airship, in her human form. Running over to her, she kneeled down, gently shaking her shoulders and whispering.

"Terra! Terra!"

"Is she…" Edgar trailed off, and suddenly Terra opened her eyes, coughing a little and reaching up, feeling her hair and face.

"…I'm…I'm human…" Terra blinked and then burst into a huge smile, surprising Celes with a hug and then leaping up to hug Edgar. "I'm human!" Edgar laughed and swung Terra around as the rest of the Returners cheered. Jumping down from his arms, Terra then ran to Setzer, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

"Thank you, Setzer!" Setzer blushed and laughed, shrugging it off with a wink.

"Didn't I tell you before my dear? This is the world's fastest ship!" Terra couldn't stop smiling and laughing. She went around to everyone, giving and receiving countless hugs and kisses as Setzer pulled the ship up higher and higher, going at max speed. Celes joined the group at the railings, staring out at their new world and feeling like she was finally home again. Locke slipped up beside her, and silently, their fingers entwined. Edgar and Sabin were trying to spot Figaro from high up, and Mog, Gau, and Umaro were trying to catch birds. Gogo stood in the corner, watching silently with smirking eyes, while Strago, Cyan, and Relm admired the beautiful view that was unfolding before their eyes. Smiling to herself, Terra slipped away and moved back to the front of the deck.

Listening to the others chatter behind her, she allowed herself to slip into her own little world, just for a few moments. She couldn't wait to go back to Mobliz to see Katarin's new baby and teach the kids how to garden. Then, she decided she would propose them coming to Narshe with her, and helping her rebuild the city back to its former glory. She was sure Locke and Edgar would help too…she was so excited just thinking about it! All of a sudden, "tomorrow" meant something.

Terra closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the summer wind beat against her newly-restored body. However…there was one thing that didn't feel quite right. Reaching up, Terra gently tugged at her hair ribbon, the wind immediately sweeping into her emerald green locks and blowing them back like a proud banner. Letting out a happy sigh, she let go of the ribbon, letting it flutter away in the wind and disappear from sight.

She knew right away that even though she was now human, Terra would not miss her magic powers or her abilities as an Esper. She was sure that just standing on the deck of The Falcon, knowing that her dear friends were safe and had a "tomorrow" with her…was what it truly felt like to fly.

The End

04/16/05

This story is dedicated to all of my fans, who encouraged me to keep going until the very end...Je t'aime.